Chinese shipyard produced the world's largest LNG-powered car ship will join the Volkswagen Group

Two of the world ’s largest LNG-powered ro-ro ships built by Xiamen Shipbuilding will join the fleet of the world ’s largest car group, the German Volkswagen Group, and the Volkswagen Group will also become the world ’s first LNG-powered long-distance transport vehicle to be sold overseas Car manufacturer.

Volkswagen Group announced recently that it will soon have two 7500 LNG-powered ro-ro ships leased from Siem Car Carriers. The two ships are the "Siem Confucius" and "Siem Aristotle", which will replace 2 of the 9 conventional heavy oil powered ships of Volkswagen Group, deployed on the trans-Atlantic route, departing from Emden, Germany. Through multiple ports on the east coast of the United States to Mexico.

Each LNG-powered ro-ro ship has two LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 1800 cubic meters, which is enough to complete a complete transatlantic round-trip voyage and ensure that there are 10% spare storage tanks that can be used for a few days. Both ships are powered by a 12600 kW dual fuel marine engine from MAN Energy Solutions, using direct injection and exhaust gas treatment technology.

Volkswagen Group said that compared to conventional fuels, LNG engines can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 25% and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 30%. Energy giant Shell will provide LNG fuel for the two LNG-powered ro-ro ships. Shell has signed an agreement with Siem Car Carriers in 2017.

According to official Volkswagen Group data, Volkswagen Group ’s global sales reached 10.9746 million units in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 1.3%, setting a new high for the Group ’s sales. China is still the largest single market in the world by Volkswagen Group, contributing nearly 40% of sales. The top three rankings of global sales in 2019 are also officially released. Volkswagen Group has locked in the 2019 global sales champion, ranking first for the fourth consecutive year.

According to the International Ship Network, the "Siem Confucius" and "Siem Aristotle" were built by Xiamen Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, and the first "Siem Confucius" was delivered to Siem Car Carriers in March this year, which is also the world's first 7500 car. The LNG-powered ro-ro ship is the first ever LNG-powered car carrier with transatlantic capabilities,

The 7500 LNG-powered ro-ro ship was developed and designed by the Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute, and was classified into the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The ship has a total length of 199.9 meters, a width of 38 meters, a depth of 14.8 meters, a design draft of 8.65 meters, and a total of 13 car decks, of which 9 are fixed and 4 are movable, which can provide 7,500 standard parking spaces. The internal connection between them is achieved through fixed / active ramps, and it is a single-propeller, dual-fuel main engine-driven car carrier.

This type of ship is a super-Panama-type car transport ship. It is driven by LNG fuel and can use the clean energy throughout the voyage. Its technical performance is at the world's leading level. Comprehensive upgrades have been made in line design, subdivision, light-weight structure, system propulsion, loading, etc., focusing on the characteristics of "green, environmental protection, energy saving and safety". The ship fills the gap in the independent design and construction technology of China's dual-fuel large-scale ro-ro ships. It is another masterpiece of Xiamen Shipbuilding in the field of ro-ro ships construction, and will become another highlight of China's shipbuilding industry.