Oslo-based ro/ro carrier UECC is doubling down on its LNG-battery hybrid compliance strategy for low-carbon operations in the European market. UECC announced Wednesday that it has signed a contract with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard for two new 4,500 CEU PCTCs powered by multi-fuel LNG engines and battery-hybrid technology. The ships are on track for delivery in 2028, and UECC holds options for two more if it wishes to expand the orderbook.
"We are delighted to have finalized this agreement to begin a successful partnership with Jinling, which [is] a premium yard. We believe this contract will be a solid foundation for a strong and mutually beneficial relationship," said UECC CEO Glenn Edvardsen.
UECC's last series of LNG battery hybrids - Auto Advance, Auto Achieve and Auto Aspire - were built at Jiangnan Shipyard in 2021-22, and the company says that they are already exceeding the IMO's target for a 40 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030. (UECC calculates that the CO2 reduction contribution of its LNG fuel supply is 25 percent.)
The newly-ordered ships from Jingling will be about 25 percent bigger. They also have a long list of new efficiency improvements, including fuel saving propulsion technologies, shore power equipment, and solar panels on the top deck.
UECC tracks its carbon-saving activities through a CO2 registry, and can transfer the benefits of clean fuel usage to its charterers in a verifiable format. It recently booked about 8,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent savings by buying a month of 100 percent liquefied biomethane (LBM) bunkering in the Port of Zeebrugge for all its LNG-fueled vessels.
"We are providing our customers with a great springboard to further their own decarbonization strategies. With progressive automakers focusing on cleaner cars, we expect them to want to reduce their Scope Three emissions and ship those cars sustainably," explained UECC sustainability manager Daniel Gent.
