Höegh Autoliners has signed an agreement with Chinese battery maker BYD to install a marine battery system on its upcoming Aurora No.12 car carrier. The vessel, due for delivery in May 2028, will be able to run on ammonia from day one.
The ship combines four technologies: batteries, solar panels, a shaft generator and an ammonia-fuelled main engine. Höegh says it is the first deep-sea car carrier to bring all four together, and the most fuel-efficient pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) it has ever built. The company estimates the setup will cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 1,000 metric tons of CO? equivalent per year while lowering fuel costs.
The deal was signed Monday at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey. CEO Andreas Enger said nobody had done this on a deep-sea car carrier before, while COO Sebjørn Dahl said the company wants to learn what green technologies can achieve when combined.
Aurora No.12 is part of Höegh's Aurora-class newbuilding programme at China Merchants Heavy Industry in China. Each vessel can carry up to 9,100 cars, and the company claims carbon emissions per vehicle can be reduced by as much as 58% compared with conventional car carriers. Höegh ordered six more ships in August, bringing the programme to 18 vessels, with options and reserved slots potentially expanding the fleet to 26.
For freight forwarders and shippers on China-US lanes, the ship itself does not solve today's capacity or rate problems—it will not enter service until 2028, and car carriers mainly move finished vehicles rather than containerised cargo. But the signal is clear: Chinese battery makers are moving into deep-sea marine power systems, and with green ammonia costs still unresolved, owners are using batteries and solar to cut fuel burn first. The roll-on/roll-off and car-carrier fleet mix will shift as these Aurora-class ships are delivered, and automakers exporting by RoRo should keep an eye on their delivery dates.