China's largest dual-fuel car carrier begins maiden voyage

It carries Chinese-branded new energy vehicles.

China’s largest dual-fuel car carrier has started its maiden voyage from Nansha, Guangzhou.

Yuanhai Kou is powered by a liquefied natural gas main engine, along with over 500 solar panels with a peak power of 302.8 kilowatts, currently the largest amongst similar vessels. 

According to LONGi, which provided the ship's solar modules, this photovoltaic system generates 410,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, saving approximately 111 tonnes of fuel and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 345.9 tonnes.

Yuanhai Kou measures 199.9 metres in length, with a gross tonnage of 68,252 tonnes and a displacement of 39,069 tonnes.

It features 12 vehicle decks, including 8 fixed decks and 4 movable decks, with a loading capacity of 7,000 standard car parking spaces. It can carry all types of vehicles such as sedans, engineering vehicles, and buses, as well as MAFI cargo.

The ship is transporting vehicles produced by Chinese brands, over 90% of which are new energy vehicles. It will head to countries such as Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Tunisia.