On January 5th, China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. delivered the 9,100-car dual-fuel-powered car carrier " Höegh Aurora" to Höegh Autolines of Norway. This vessel is the third of the 12 "Aurora" class car carriers that China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. has contracted to build, and it is also the first of the largest class of car carriers completed by the company in 2025.
The vessel has a total length of 199.9 meters, a width of 37.6 meters, a molded depth of 14.53 meters, and a design draught of 9.35 meters, with a carrying capacity of 9,100 vehicles. It features an enhanced deck structure and an internal ramp system, enabling the loading of vehicles across 14 decks. The ship's propulsion system is equipped with one low-speed dual-fuel main engine and three dual-fuel generators. In addition to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and conventional fuels, the vessel holds DNV's "Ammonia Ready" and "Methanol Ready" notations, allowing for future conversion to zero-carbon fuels such as ammonia or methanol. This vessel represents the first car carrier in the industry capable of operating on carbon-neutral fuels and is currently the largest and most environmentally sustainable car carrier globally.
In addition, this vessel is equipped with 14 decks and an advanced internal ramp system, enabling electric vehicles to operate on all decks and providing enhanced loading flexibility for heavier cargo. The lead vessel of this series also features 1,500 square meters of solar panels installed on the top deck, which can reduce generator power consumption by up to 30% to 35%. Furthermore, this vessel is capable of utilizing shore power to achieve zero-emission port operations.
Höegh Autolines placed orders for 12 "Aurora"class car carriers with China Merchants Industry in three batches between 2022 and 2023. The lead vessel and the second vessel were delivered in August and October 2024, respectively. Currently, construction of the seventh vessel in this series has also commenced.