The growth of LNG car carriers continues: two new ships for Hyundai

Following recent orders for LNG car carriers, the last ones commissioned at the end of 2019 by the Norwegian company United European Car Carriers and by the Japanese company NYK which by 2022 with the latest deliveries will bring the fleets of the two companies respectively to 5 (LNG Hybrid -electric) and 2 (dual fuel LNG) ships of this type, the Korean Register (KR) classification company recently announced that it has granted approval in principle (AIP) for the suitability of two ships with LNG propulsion (dual fuel) used for the transport of vehicles developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

The AIP covers two pure car and truck carriers vessels with a carrying capacity of 7.000 and 8.1000 CEU (car equivalent units). Both vessels will be equipped with International Maritime Organization (IMO) type C tanks, that are independent self-supporting tanks with a pressure containment system which ensures safety and no risk of leakage.

According to the Korean company, the dual fuel LNG propulsion system can reduce CO2 emissions by 40-50% for all types of ships including small and medium-sized ones. By applying additional energy saving devices and maximizing the ship's performance, HHI also believes it possible to obtain a further reduction of 10-20%, thus respecting the environmental regulations envisaged by the IMO for  reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2050, compared to 2008.

Source: UECC, NYK, KR