The “Yuan Hai Kou”, a dual-fuel car carrier built and operated by China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited (COSCO SHIPPING Group), has recently embarked on its inaugural voyage to Piraeus Port in Greece.
The “Yuan Hai Kou”, a dual-fuel car carrier built and operated by China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited, has recently embarked on its inaugural voyage to Piraeus Port in Greece. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
As the world’s largest car carrier powered by both photovoltaic (PV) solar energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG), the vessel exemplifies cutting-edge industrial engineering and green shipping innovation.
In late May, the vessel departed from Guangzhou and Xiamen ports, transporting 4,000 Chinese-made vehicles, over 90 percent of which were new energy vehicles (NEVs). After a 30-day journey across the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, the vessel successfully arrived at the southern gateway of Europe.
Invested in and operated by Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd., the “Yuan Hai Kou” measures 199.9 meters in length, with a gross tonnage of 68,252 tons and a displacement of 39,069 tons. It features 12 car decks — 8 fixed and 4 adjustable — and boasts a total capacity of 7,000 standard vehicle units, capable of transporting passenger cars, construction machinery, buses, and MAFI cargo.
As China’s first PCTC certified with the “NEVCarriage” class notation, the vessel incorporates multiple cutting-edge technologies and has become a benchmark for green shipping.
It boasts LNG dual-fuel engines that reduce energy consumption by 20 percent compared to conventional fuel ships, achieving over 24 percent carbon reduction.
It is equipped with a 302.8 kW solar PV system, the most powerful among its class, generating up to 410,000 kWh annually — equivalent to planting 38,000 trees.
It uses China’s first independently developed real-time vehicle stowage software for PCTCs, enhancing safety monitoring and fire early warning for NEV cargo.
It is the first vessel to fully comply with the China Classification Society’s Guidelines for Digital Ship Delivery, employing a “unified equipment QR code system” for end-to-end digital integration from design and construction to operation and maintenance, setting a new standard for smart shipbuilding.
COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd. plays a key role in supporting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. From January to May 2025, its car carrier fleet transported over 100,000 vehicles to Belt and Road markets, representing a 173 percent year-on-year increase. The company currently operates more than 20 car carriers, with service networks covering all major global auto markets. The fleet is expected to expand to 30 vessels by 2026, alongside continuous deployment of cutting-edge technologies to deliver safer, smarter, and more efficient logistics services for customers worldwide.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
