Three years after launching the Aurora Class design, the first Aurora vessel, Höegh Aurora, was delivered at a naming ceremony at China Merchants Heavy Industry’s yard in Jiangsu, China, on August 8.
Already operating pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) fleet sailing the oceans today, Höegh Autoliners have launched a transformational green fleet renewal program by ordering 12 brand new multi-fuel-ready vessels designed for transportation of future cargo.
All Auroras will have DNV’s “ammonia ready” and “methanol ready” notations. And will be the first in the PCTC-segment to be able to operate on carbon-neutral ammonia.
The vessels will be cutting carbon emissions per car transported by up to 58 percent from the current industry average, as Höegh Autoliners explains.
The first Aurora vessel, Höegh Aurora, will commence commercial operations immediately.
The Aurora Class has a capacity of up to 9,100 cars and with strengthened decks and enhanced internal ramp systems she can carry electric vehicles on all 14 decks.
They will have 1500 square meters of solar panels on the top deck, reducing electricity production from the generators by up to 30-35 percent as well as the vessels being primed to embrace electric shore power for emissions-free port operations.
The first Aurora Class vessels will be running on liquefied natural gas (LNG), biofuels, and low-sulfur oil.
From 2027, the aim is that the last 4 of the 12 Aurora Class vessels will be running on clean, green ammonia.
Höegh Autoliners reports that they have already partnered with several of the world’s leading ammonia producers such as Yara Clean Ammonia, Norwegian North Ammonia, Sumitomo Corporation and others, to ensure the supply and usage of green ammonia.
Through its membership of the First Movers Coalition, Höegh Autoliners has committed, to powering at least 5% of its deep-sea operations with green ammonia by 2030.
The goal is to run its fleet on at least 100,000 metric tons of green ammonia by that same year.
Andreas Enger, chief executive officer of Höegh Autoliners, said: “We are setting new standards for sustainable deep-sea transportation, making a significant stride toward our 2040 net zero emissions goal.
“As the largest and most environmentally friendly PCTCs ever built, the Aurora Class vessels embody the change our industry needs. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of the Norwegian maritime cluster, our trusted partners, and our investors.”
