The ship is due in May 2028 with the ability to run on ammonia. Höegh estimates the combined energy system will save about 1,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions a year and lower fuel costs.
Höegh Autoliners and Chinese battery manufacturer BYD signed the agreement on 9 November at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey. The batteries are planned for Aurora No. 12, a car carrier being built for Höegh, which provides roll-on/roll-off transport for vehicles, heavy machinery and other cargo on international routes. gCaptain said the ship is scheduled to leave the yard capable of operating on ammonia.
The agreement follows an expansion of Höegh’s Aurora-class building program at China Merchants Heavy Industry in China, of which Aurora No. 12 is part. China Merchants Heavy Industry has already delivered ships in the class into commercial operation and will build the expanded fleet, Höegh says.
BYD’s batteries are intended to work with solar panels and a shaft generator, which generates electricity from the ship’s propulsion shaft, to manage energy on board. Höegh CEO Andreas Enger says Aurora No. 12 will be the first deep-sea car carrier to combine those technologies with ammonia propulsion and the most fuel-efficient pure car and truck carrier ever built.
Höegh estimates that the combined energy system will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually while lowering fuel costs. CO2 equivalent expresses the warming effect of greenhouse gases using carbon dioxide as a common measure. Separately, the company says Aurora-class ships can cut carbon emissions per car transported by up to 58% compared with conventional car and truck carriers.
Ammonia produces no CO2 when burned, but its overall environmental impact depends heavily on how it is made. Green ammonia is relatively expensive compared with conventional marine fuels; the energy-saving technology could help address that cost. BYD said the partnership would demonstrate the potential of its containerized battery technology in deep-sea shipping.
Diesel fell 9 cents on 9 November, while a smaller petroleum-tax discount limited both reductions compared with an automobile club’s forecasts.
Höegh announced an order for six additional Aurora-class ships in August 2026 and signed the contract with China Merchants Group in Naples on 22 September, expanding the program to 18 vessels. Those six dual-fuel LNG ships are due between 2029 and 2031, have ammonia-ready and methanol-ready notations, and are designed for future conversion to fuels including ammonia, rather than promised to run on ammonia at delivery.
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