Three years after launching the Aurora Class design, the first Aurora vessel, Höegh Aurora, was delivered at a naming ceremony at China Merchants Heavy Industry’s yard in Jiangsu, China this week.
Already operating what it describes as the world’s most sustainable pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) fleet, Höegh Autoliners has launched a transformational green fleet renewal program – ordering 12 brand new multi-fuel-ready Aurora Class vessels designed for transportation of future cargo.
The Aurora Class will have DNV’s ‘ammonia ready’ and ‘methanol ready’ notations and will be the first in the PCTC-segment to be able to operate on carbon-neutral ammonia. The vessels will be cutting carbon emissions per car transported by up to 58 percent from the current industry average.
In 2027, when the Auroras are powered entirely by clean ammonia, they will eliminate nearly all carbon emissions.
“With the Aurora Class, we are pioneering efforts to combat pollution in a hard-to abate segment. We are setting new standards for sustainable deep-sea transportation, making a significant stride toward our 2040 net zero emissions goal,” says Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners. “As the largest and most environmentally friendly PCTCs ever built, the Aurora Class vessels embody the change our industry needs.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the support of the Norwegian maritime cluster, our trusted partners, and our investors,” he added. “We are grateful for their invaluable contributions to this project.”
The first Aurora vessel, Höegh Aurora, will commence commercial operations immediately. The Aurora Class has a capacity of up to 9,100 cars – and with strengthened decks and enhanced internal ramp systems she can carry Electric Vehicles on all 14 decks. The Auroras are designed for future cargo.
They will have 1500 square metres of solar panels on the top deck, reducing electricity production from the generators by up to 30-35 percent as well as the vessels being primed to embrace electric shore power for emissions-free port operations.
The first Aurora Class vessels will be running on liquefied natural gas (LNG), biofuels, and low-sulphur oil. From 2027, the aim is that the last 4 of the 12 Aurora Class vessels will be running on clean, green ammonia, reducing emissions by close to 100 percent.
With the Aurora Class, Höegh Autoliners is raising the demand for ammonia as a viable, zero-carbon maritime fuel. Höegh Autoliners has already partnered with several of the world’s leading ammonia producers to ensure the supply and usage of green ammonia – these include Yara Clean Ammonia, Norwegian North Ammonia, Sumitomo Corporation and more.
Through its membership of the First Movers Coalition, Höegh Autoliners has committed, to powering at least 5% of its deep-sea operations with green ammonia by 2030. The goal is to run its fleet on at least 100,000 metric tons of green ammonia by that same year.
The Aurora Class is the result of years of hard work, extensive maritime knowledge, and visionary partnerships with the best in class on all fronts; China Merchants Heavy Industries, Kongsberg Maritime, DNV, DeltaMarin, MAN Energy Systems, MacGregor, TGE Marine, Bank of Communications, HD Huyndai, Glamox – and many more. All vessels are being built by China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI), to be classed by DNV and registered under the Norwegian flag (NIS).
Höegh Autoliners expects the delivery of two Aurora Class vessels every six months until H1 2027, with the option of ordering another four ships.
