Singapore-based ship management company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has taken delivery of its first duel-fuelled PCTC, Lake Herman. Built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, this 7,000 CEU PCTC is equipped with dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) capabilities and green features like a shaft generator, shore, and battery power.
With an overall length of 199.9 meters and a beam of 38 meters, the vessel is classed by DNV. The vessel is equipped with 12 car decks, of which 8 are fixed and 4 are movable, with a design capacity of more than 7,070 standard parking spaces, suitable for loading traditional fuel or new energy vehicles, trucks and trailers, etc., with a strong cargo-carrying capacity and a large degree of loading flexibility. The ship adopts the low-carbon design of green and clean LNG fuel, is equipped with “axle generator + lithium battery” hybrid power and photovoltaic system, which significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, optimizes the reduction of electric power consumption, and at the same time, significantly reduces pollutant emissions and noise level of near-shore and port waters. At the same time, it significantly reduces pollutant emissions and noise levels in near-shore and harbor waters, which is a new initiative for energy conservation and emission reduction.
The performance indexes of the ship, such as deadweight, speed and fuel consumption, have reached and better than the contract index requirements, and the ship energy efficiency design index (EEDI) meets the third stage requirements of the International Maritime Organization in advance. The ship adopts the energy-saving propulsion devices of SDARI-ECO, a subsidiary company of SDARI: high-efficiency propeller, energy-saving conduit and energy-saving hubcap, and the speed index exceeds the expectation. Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to provide its hybrid propulsion system for the ships.
In 2021, EPS placed an order for the construction of up to six dual-fuel car carriers with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard. The deal includes four firm 70,000-tonne-class car carriers and an option for two additional ones.
EPS has also recently placed an order for the world’s largest ammonia carrier pair, including up to 10 more ships from different yards. The vessels stand out as the preferred ship type for long-distance transportation of green ammonia and can also be fully loaded with liquefied petroleum gases such as propane and butane.
