VESSEL REVIEW | BYD Shenzhen – Chinese car manufacturer places LNG-fuelled vehicle carrier into service

China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) recently handed over a new pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) ordered by Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD.

Named after the city where BYD is headquartered, 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.

Fitted with systems for enhancing efficiency and environmental performance

The new PCTC has an LOA of 219.9 metres (721.5 feet), a beam of 37.7 metres (124 feet), a draught of nine metres (30 feet), 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.

First in a new 9,200CEU series

LNG fuel is fed to the engines and the generators by two IMO Type C storage tanks. In LNG mode, the ship can still attain its rated service speed. Low-resistance anti-fouling paint has meanwhile been used on the hull to help further reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions over the same sailing distances.

Another two near-identical sisters of BYD Shenzhen are under various stages of construction and are scheduled to be delivered within this year.