A joint venture led by Cosco Shipping has completed its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation with a newbuild pure car and truck carrier in China.
Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping, the JV formed by Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers, Shanghai International Port Group Logistics (SIPGL), and SAIC Anji Logistics, said in a statement the maiden LNG bunkering operation took place on July 13 at the Luhuashan Anchorage in Shanghai.
During the bunkering operation, the LNG dual-fuel 7,500-ceu PCTC, Liao He Kou, took some 2,188 cbm of LNG from the the 20,000-cbm bunkering vessel, Hai Gang Wei Lai, owned by Shanghai SIPG Energy Service (SSES), a unit SIPG and Shenergy,
This PCTC and the LNG dual-fuel 7,500-ceu, Min Jang Kou, built by China’s Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry (XSI), are the first LNG-powered PCTCs operated by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers and its JV.
XSI and Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding, both part of Fujian Shipbuilding Industry Group, are building in total 12 LNG-powered PCTCs which will serve the JV.
24 LNG-powered PCTCs
Cosco Shipping said in a separate statement released last week that Liao He Kou will carry more than 5,000 commercial vehicles from brands such as BAIC, Liuzhou Motor, BYD, and Chery to start its European voyage.
At the same time, its sister ship, Min Jang Kou, will carry more than 4,800 commercial vehicles to the Persian Gulf.
Cosco Shipping claims these are the world’s largest dual-fuel car roll-on/roll-off ships with 7,500 parking spaces.
Since 2022, Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers and its joint venture Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Ship Transport have placed orders for 24 large modern LNG dual-fuel PCTCs with a capacity of 7,000 to 8,600 units.
According to the plan, 5 new ships will be delivered in batches and put into operation in the second half of this year, 11 ships are expected to be delivered next year, and 6 ships will be delivered in 2026, Cosco Shipping said.
By then, a fleet of about 30 ships will be formed with an annual transportation capacity of 700,000 units, it said.
