Höegh Autoliners on Tuesday (20 May) said its latest liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel pure car and truck carrier has departed China Merchants Heavy Industry’s yard, ready to commence its commercial operations.

The 9,100 CEU Höegh Sunrise, currently sailing the seas, is on its way to Shanghai for bunkering before sailing to Japan and then towards Europe. 

The PCTC is the fifth in a series of 12 Aurora Class vessels built by the shipyard in China. The first eight Auroras are or will be equipped with engines primed to run on LNG and low-sulphur oil. 

These vessels can be converted to run on ammonia later. By 2027, Höegh Autoliners said the four last vessels of the series will be able to run net zero on ammonia directly from the yard when delivered.

Manifold Times previously reported the naming ceremony of Höegh Autoliner’s fourth Aurora Class newbuild, Höegh Sunlight, at Taicang Haitong Auto Terminal.

Related: Höegh Autoliners names LNG-powered RoRo ship “Höegh Sunlight” in China|
Related: Gasum completes SIMOPS LNG bunkering operation of PCTC “Höegh Sunlight”

Photo credit: Höegh Autoliners
Published: 22 May, 2025

United European Car Carriers (UECC) on Monday (19 May) said bunkering liquefied biomethane (LBM), also known as bio-LNG, will give it a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism.

UECC’s Senior Manager of Business Planning & Sustainability, Masanori Nagashima, said bio-LNG is now seen by the company as the key fuel to achieve its target of a 45% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 versus a 2014 baseline and net zero by 2040 – ahead of the 2050 deadline set by both the IMO and EU.

The marine fuel is being bunkered on UECC’s dual and multi-fuel LNG PCTCs – three of which have battery hybrid capability – under Sail for Change that was launched by UECC last year and currently has participation by automotive giants including Toyota, Ford and JLR. 

The company also has on order two multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid newbuild PCTCs due for delivery in 2028 that could be enlisted into the programme. 

The overall carbon intensity of the UECC fleet, using the same gCO2e/MJ (grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule) metric as FuelEU, is calculated at 68 gCO2e/MJ to achieve an interim target of a 25% carbon intensity reduction in 2025, though the company is expected to achieve 57 gCO2e/MJ this year based on its supply plan, according to Nagashima.

This is significantly below the current FuelEU threshold of 89.3 gCO2e/MJ – a 2% reduction from the baseline of 91.16 gCO2e/MJ – and still lower than the threshold of 77.9 gCO2e/MJ from 2035 that is a 14.5% reduction versus the baseline figure.

“The low carbon intensity of our fleet means all of our vessels are expected to gain a C rating or above with the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII)” Nagashima explained.

“It also gives us a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism, allowing a great commercial opportunity to offset regulatory costs for customers and eliminate FuelEU surcharges.”

“UECC will continue to accelerate its progress in improving decarbonisation of its fleet by further optimising our fuel mix strategy going forward to incorporate more high-impact fuels as these become viable.”

Photo credit: Titan Clean Fuels
Published: 22 May, 2025

German liner Hapag-Lloyd on Monday (19 May) announced its key bunkering milestones under the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) initiative.

At the end of March, its container ship Hanoi Express bunkered 1,800 metric tonnes (mt) of bio-methane in Rotterdam – generating the first Sustainable Marine Fuel Certificates (SMFc) under the ZEMBA initiative.

A few weeks later, another container ship Rotterdam Express bunkered 3,000 mt of bio-methane in Wilhelmshaven. 

“This marked another game-changing moment: the first time ever this renewable fuel has been supplied at that terminal! A powerful next step on the industry’s path to decarbonisation – and towards our net-zero fleet operations goals by 2045,” it said in a social media post. 

Both vessels are among the company’s new class of 12 dual-fuel ships, designed to run on LNG and ready to operate on alternative fuels like bio-methane and e-methane.

“This is just the start – more vessels are set to join the ZEMBA initiative in 2025, helping to reduce emissions along key trade routes such as Asia–Europe,” Hapag-Lloyd added. 

The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) is a non-profit buyer’s group––currently comprised of over 40 major multinational companies––working to accelerate the most sustainable, scalable and economically viable solutions for the maritime sector.

In April 2024, Hapag-Lloyd won ZEMBA’s first tender and is supporting members to collectively abate at least 82,000 mt of CO2e in 2025 and 2026 through Hapag-Lloyd’s independently certified and exclusively waste-based bio-methane service. 

ZEMBA and Hapag-Lloyd utilise a book and claim system to facilitate verification and credible and appropriate allocation of the environmental attributes of Hapag-Lloyd’s waste-based biomethane shipping service.

Related: Gasum to supply Hapag-Lloyd with waste-based bio-LNG bunker fuel

Photo credit: Hapag-Lloyd
Published: 20 May, 2025