On 29 November 2016 the formal delivery ceremony for TBN Auto Energy took place at the NACKS shipyard in Nantong, China and the vessel was formally delivered to United European Car Carriers (UECC).
Glenn Edvardsen, CEO of UECC, said: ‘To construct the most technically advanced PCTC ever built, where the LNG installation would be a pioneering design, and one of the largest employed on any commercial vessel, and the largest yet of its kind on a pure car and truck carrier, we all knew this would be a very challenging task.
‘Needless to say, this required highly skilled and a dedicated group of engineers along with great teamwork and cooperation from all.
‘The result of this long process is a triumph of engineering, teamwork and international cooperation. Auto Energy will help UECC achieve its vision: to be recognised as the leading provider of short sea ro-ro transport in Europe. But more than that, Auto Energy serves as a bold statement of UECC’s commitment to environmental sustainability.’
UECC, jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines, had signed a contract to construct two dual fuel LNG PCTCs with 1A Super Finnish/Swedish ice class. TBN Auto Energy was the second of these vessels to be delivered.
The launch of the two vessels represented a milestone in the history of the global shipping industry as well as for UECC, which is proud to be a frontrunner for a greener shipping industry. With the two new vessels in their fleet, UECC is able to deliver more sustainable, stable and efficient services to our customers.
With an overall length of 181m and a 30m beam, TBN Auto Energy is, together with her sister vessel Auto Eco, the world’s largest dual-fuel LNG PCTCs. The vessels are also the biggest ever PCTCs with 1A super Finnish/Swedish ice class.
TBN Auto Energy is able to complete a 14-day round voyage in the Baltic using solely LNG fuel. She is also capable of running on LNG fuel or heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil, combining cleaner operations with greater flexibility and efficiency.
