NORWAY’S Höegh Autoliners last week marked a milestone in its push to zero-emission shipping with a steel-cutting ceremony for the world’s first dual-fuel ammonia car carrier.
Under construction by China Merchants Heavy Industries the PCTC is the ninth of Höegh’s 9,100 CEU Aurora class and the first capable of run on ammonia directly from the yard, enabling Net Zero deep sea transportation, the company says.
The Aurora class are regularly employed on Höegh’s Oceania services, which are represented in Australia and NZ by Seaway Agencies.
The ceremony took place just a week after Höegh took delivery of another newbuilding, this time a much smaller feeder PCTC, the 2,450 CEO Höegh Pacific, which has been purpose-built for the routes that connect Central America and the Caribbean with the rest of the world.
Höegh Pacific naming ceremony. Image: Höegh Autoliners / LinkedIn
Höegh says the vessel is “the result of the kind of collaboration that comes from the closest of partnerships: Built with speed. Delivered well ahead of schedule. Executed with precision across companies, cultures, and continents… by partners CQC and CMHI.”
The company has also released its 2025 annual report, describing another strong year for Höegh Autoliners, with solid financial performance despite a complex and volatile operating environment.
“During times of uncertainty, we are pleased to have built resilience through a strong balance sheet, a high-quality contract backlog, competitive financing costs, and a modern and efficient fleet,” CEO Andreas Enger said.
“None of these achievements would have been possible without the collective dedication of our employees, customers, suppliers, and partners.”
Meanwhile, Italy’s Grimaldi has taken delivery of Grande Tokyo, the fifth in a series of 9,241 CEU PCTCs built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. It is now on its inaugural voyage from Ningbo to Latin America with around 6,800 vehicles.
Grimaldi’s recently-launched Asia-Australia service is represented here by Nautical Shipping.