The Norwegian shipping company Höegh Autoliners has christened the newbuilding “Höegh Moonlight” in the port of Gothenburg. It is the sixth ship in the “Aurora” class and has a capacity of 9,100 CEU.
The ship’s godmother was Jenny Westermark, Senior Vice President, GTO Production Services of the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. The ceremony concluded with a loading of the ship with Volvo vehicles. With the christening, the almost 200 m long “Höegh Moonlight” joins the Höegh Autoliners flagship series, which now consists of twelve Pure Care and Truck Carriers (PCTC). The fifth ship, the “Höegh Sunrise”, was christened in the Japanese port of Omaezaki in June.
The ships in this class – named after the type ship “Höegh Aurora ” – pay particular attention to environmental friendliness. The car carriers play an important role in the company’s goal of becoming completely emission-free by 2040.
“The naming of the ‘Höegh Moonlight’ underlines our strong commitment to the decarbonization of ocean shipping – not just in the future, but today,” says Höegh CEO Andreas Enger. “These ships are not concepts; they are working, moving answers to one of the most pressing challenges facing our industry.”
Dual-fuel engines for operation with ammonia
According to a company statement, the Aurora class is the “most technically advanced and environmentally friendly car carrier series ever built”. All twelve vessels are designed from the outset to convert to clean fuels, with the first eight powered by dual-fuel engines running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). They are also ‘ammonia ready’ with reinforced decks and an integrated tank developed by TGE Marine at the heart of the design. This allows for easy conversion to run on clean ammonia in the future. The last four units of the Aurora newbuilding program, scheduled for delivery from 2027, are also dual-fuel vessels, but are expected to run on ammonia from day one. Höegh expects the first eight newbuilds to achieve emission savings of around 58% per car transported.
“The ‘Höegh Moonlight’ reflects the transformation we are driving throughout the shipping industry,” says Sebjørn Dahl, COO of the company. “From the speed of delivery to the level of innovation on board, these ships show what can be achieved when ambition meets action. We are grateful to our partners, the crew and our global team for making this possible – together we are building more than just ships: We are helping to shape a cleaner and smarter future for global trade.”
Göran Eriksson, CEO of the Port of Gothenburg, emphasized that Höegh Autoliners’ services play a “crucial role in Swedish industry’s access to global markets”. With the new class, it will be possible to establish this connection even more efficiently and in a more climate-friendly way than before. Gothenburg is set to become a leading bunker transshipment center for alternative fuels in Northern Europe. “Höegh is a strong example of a pioneer that shows that our initiatives as a port are going in the right direction.”
By 2030, the port aims to reduce its CO2 emissions at sea, in the terminal areas and on land by 70%. The transition is being carried out in close cooperation with industry, politics and science. The focus is on creating sustainable value chains for a thriving society and strengthening companies’ access to global markets. Important components of these efforts are investments in shore power, green shipping corridors, electrification and the fuels of the future. All of this is done in close cooperation with stakeholders along the entire transport chain.
“Höegh Moonlight” – data sheet
- Year of construction: 2025
- Load capacity: 25,200 dwt
- GT: 83,687
- Capacity: 9,100 CEU
- FLAG: Norway
- Length overall: 199.90 m
- Width: 37.8 m
