For the first time, vehicles from Europe will be transported from Europe to North and Central America on a car freighter powered by LNG. On June 16 the SIEM CONFUCIUS with more than 4,800 vehicles for North America left Emden for Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico.
SIEM CONFUCIUS is 200 metres long and 38 metres wide, and has 13 car decks and a capacity of 7,500 CEU (Car Equivalent Units). The ship is powered by 12,600 kW dual-fuel marine engines with direct injection and exhaust gas after treatment from MAN Energy Solutions. In eco-speed mode they travel at a speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h).
The two tanks in the ship, each holding 1,800 cubic metres, are sufficient to cover the entire distance with the fuel stowed in Europe. In addition to liquid, deep-frozen natural gas, the car carriers could also be operated with biogas or E-gas from regenerative sources.
Thomas Zernechel, Head of Volkswagen Group Logistics, stated on the occasion:
By 2025, in accordance with the environmental mission statement “goTOzero”, the company aims to reduce its total net CO2 emissions by 30 percent and be get CO2-neutral in 2050. All transports – by water, road and rail – must be climate-friendly to achieve this. We have to take action now, because ships like the LNG freighter SIEM CONFUCIUS and soon its sister ship SIEM ARISTOTLE will be in service for many years