VESSEL REVIEW | Arctic Tern – Wallenius Wilhelmsen places methanol dual-fuel car carrier on Asia-Europe trade

Wallenius Wilhelmsen has taken delivery of a new pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.

Arctic Tern is the lead ship of a new series of PCTCs fitted with dual-fuel propulsion that can run on either methanol or very low sulphur fuel oil.

The vessel will be deployed on Asia-Europe routes through EUKOR Car Carriers, the shipping line jointly owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen and the Hyundai Motor Group. Wallenius Marine oversaw site management and delivery readiness at the shipyard, while Wilhelmsen Ship Management prepared the vessel for commercial operation and will assume responsibility for ship management after delivery.

Boasting efficient cargo handling systems

The Marshall Islands-flagged Arctic Tern has an LOA of 228 metres (748 feet), a beam of 38 metres (120 feet), a draught of 11 metres (36 feet), a depth of 14.64 metres (48.03 feet), a deadweight of 15,750, a gross tonnage of 87,688, a capacity of 9,300 CEUs across 12 decks, and a range of 20,000 nautical miles.

The vessel was designed to maximise cargo capacity and flexibility. For example, two of the four movable decks have been made electrically hoistable, allowing for simplified, less labour-intensive adjustment of the movable cargo decks.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen said this also has a positive implication on potential rest-hours and thus safety.

Low-emission propulsion setup prepared for ammonia retrofitting

Wallenius Wilhelmsen said that, in addition to possessing dual-fuel capability, Arctic Tern incorporates technologies designed to improve operational performance, efficiency and onboard experience. These include an air lubrication system, a battery pack, solar panels, and a shore power connection.

The ship’s propulsion can be configured in the future to permit operation on ammonia fuel, though her current setup complies with IMO Tier III NOx emission standards thanks to the incorporation of exhaust gas recycling and selective catalytic reduction systems.

Full range of safety features

The design also has additional voluntary fire prevention measures applied in the machinery spaces, the accommodation spaces, and the cargo hold. Additional fire extinguishing capacity is added to be able to handle more of the cargo space (two fire zones as opposed to only one as required by regulations) or have higher concentration of the extinguishing media if needed for handling fires originating from battery-electric vehicles.

The vehicle cargo will be loaded and unloaded via a stern ramp, which features a load monitoring system. The cargo hold is meanwhile equipped with wifi connectivity to permit data transfer between cargo units on board and customers’ shore-based offices.

The crew facilities include a sauna, a gym, and entertainment rooms.

Construction of Arctic Tern was completed in compliance with DNV class rules. Thirteen other PCTCs from the same series will also be built for Wallenius Wilhelmsen. These will include five 9,300CEU ships and eight 11,700CEU ships.

Following delivery, the ship will enter service between Asia and Europe almost immediately. The vessel has also completed her first methanol bunkering at the Port of Shanghai with the fuel provided by China's first methanol bunkering vessel, the converted chemical tanker Haigang Zhiyuan.