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UECC goes for third battery hybrid LNG vessel
Close on the heels of its call for two new battery hybrid LNG pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs), Norway-based provider of shortsea ro-ro (roll on, roll off) transportation United European Car Carriers (UECC) has confirmed an option with China Ship Building Trading and Jiangnan Shipyard Group for a third battery hybrid LNG vessel, this time slated for UECC’s Atlantic short sea trade.
‘This order is another step in our commitment to cleaner shipping,’ says Glenn Edvardsen, CEO of UECC. ‘Our experience with LNG duel-fuel vessels has been good, and we want to keep moving forward to expand our sustainable fleet.’
The new orders will push the UECC duel-fuel LNG fleet to five vessels.
Edvardsen acknowledges the importance of experience in the decision to invest in battery hybrid LNG. ‘A ship is a significant and long-term investment. We wanted to expand the use of new technologies to meet or exceed future sustainability requirements, and we feel our choice with the first two LNG vessels has been justified over nearly three years of operation. This experience gives us the confidence to move forward with even more eco-friendly technologies.’
The new battery-hybrid solution will take UECC beyond the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target of a 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030. The three vessels will also meet the IMO Tier 3 nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions limitations entering into force in the Baltic and North Sea from 2021.
‘Batteries are a key step toward next generation sustainability,’ Edvardsen observes. Battery power on the new vessels will improve operational efficiency and further reduce emissions through peak shaving, in addition to handling partial accommodation load and driving auxiliary equipment. ‘It also provides an option for reducing emissions while in port, and that is becoming more important for many cities,’ he notes.
For more on decarbonising the shipping sector, see Petroleum Review’s forthcoming November 2019 and December 2019/January 2020 issues.
Artist’s rendition of the latest battery hybrid LNG PCTC ordered by UECC
Photo: UECC
News Item details
Journal title: Petroleum Review
Subjects: Liquefied natural gas, Shipping, Hybrid vehicles, Decarbonisation, Hybrid power
