China’s marine transportation conglomerate COSCO Shipping has welcomed the newest LNG dual-fuel 7,500 CEU car carrier to its fleet.
The latest addition to COSCO Shipping’s fleet, Cheng Kang Kou, was named in Xiamen and is set to commence its maiden voyage, the company revealed in a social media post on July 22.
On the inaugural voyage, the 199.9-meter-long RoRo vessel will ship over 3,600 vehicles from Shanghai to Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Tunisia.
Thanks to the LNG dual-fuel power and green environmental protection technologies, the newbuild is expected to deliver 27% carbon emission reduction compared to RoRo vessels running on traditional fuels.
Under the shipbuilding order placed by COSCO Shipping and its joint venture Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping, a total of 24 LNG dual-fuel car carriers, each with capacities ranging from 7,000 to 8,600 vehicles, are to be delivered by 2026, leading to an expanded fleet of approximately 30 specialized car carriers.
In addition to 7,500 CEU car carriers with LNG dual-fuel propulsion, the Chinese conglomerate recently completed the 8,600 CEU series, with the delivery of Yong Le Kou .
Earlier this year, China also marked a milestone in the car carrier segment with the country’s largest ocean-going solar- and LNG-powered PCTC setting sail on its maiden voyage from Nansha, Guangzhou.