UK-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime has welcomed its latest 7,000 CEU dual-fuel pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) constructed by China’s Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard (CIMC Raffles).
As disclosed, the vessel, which uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) as one of its primary fuels, was delivered last month following the completion of sea trials. The car carrier is the ninth unit in a series of ten ships to be handed over to Zodiac Maritime by CIMC Raffles.
Owing to the ability to run on liquefied natural gas, the PCTC is expected to significantly cut down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), which could be lowered by 20-30% compared to journeys of a ship powered by conventional fuel sources.
As officials from Zodiac Maritime have noted further, during the trials, the ship was taken into open waters to evaluate its performance and confirm that all major systems (i.e., the engine, navigation systems, safety equipment, anchor operations and other ‘essential’ functions) performed as intended.
To remind, Zodiac Maritime had initially tapped CIMC Raffles all the way back in October 2021, when the maritime transport player booked a quartet of 7,000 CEU car carriers, designed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI).
The handovers of these four newbuilds were to commence in 2023, but under this deal, Zodiac Maritime revealed that considerations were being made to exercise options to purchase additional vessels in the future.
By May 2023, the London-based company had rounded up the number of LNG dual-fuel car carriers ordered at CIMC Raffles to ten.
In addition to PCTCs, Zodiac Maritime also owns and operates containerships, bulk carriers, tankers and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. In August 2023, Zodiac enriched its tanker fleet with a $120 million investment in four ships possessing a capacity of 19,900 dwt each from Fukuoka, Japan, in a sale and purchase agreement (S&P).
In other, more recent company news, namely, in December last year, CIMC Raffles delivered the LNG dual-fuel car carrier christened BYD Changzhou, which is owned by China-headquartered BYD, ‘the world’s largest’ plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufacturer.
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