Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD formally named its newest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 22.
The recently delivered BYD Shenzhen was acquired as part of the company’s CNY5 billion (US$700 million) program of expanding a fleet of eight owned and chartered vessels for transporting vehicle cargo to overseas markets. The company has therefore begun acquiring vehicle carriers of different capacities, including those that can carry 7,000 CEUs.
Built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing), the new PCTC has an LOA of 219.9 metres, a beam of 37.7 metres, a draught of nine metres, a service speed of 18.5 knots, and a capacity of 9,200 vehicles.
The ship is fitted with a dual-fuel propulsion system that can run on LNG and conventional fuel oil. The operator opted for LNG to serve as the ship’s primary fuel due to its significantly reduced NOx and SOx emissions compared to conventional marine fuels.
Battery packs and shaft alternators meanwhile help further reduce environmental impact during sailings.
Another two near-identical sisters of BYD Shenzhen are under various stages of construction and are scheduled to be delivered within this year.