Innovation and Sustainability
UECC has invested heavily in technological innovation to achieve major gains in operational efficiency and environmental performance, giving it one of the most sustainable fleets in the industry.
The company has taken the lead in developing energy-efficient engine technologies together with supplier partners to advance eco-friendly ship evolution. Its dual-fuel LNG PCTCs, Auto Eco and Auto Energy, were the first such vessels to be fitted with an LNG fuel propulsion system.
This ground-breaking installation allowed the vessels to complete a 14-day round voyage in the Baltic Sea running solely on LNG, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by around 25% through the use of LNG, as well as SOx and particulate matter by 90% and NOx by 85%.
UECC took a further technological leap with a subsequent order of three multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid newbuilds – Auto Achieve, Auto Aspire and Auto Advance – that were designed together with DNV and ship designer Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute, a unit of China’s Jiangnan Shipyard were the vessels were built.
These newbuilds featured a unique configuration of dual-fuel engines combined with an energy storage system incorporating a battery package charged by a permanent magnet, directly driven shaft generator or dual-fuelled generators.
LNG battery hybrid technology, together with an optimised hull design for better fuel efficiency, meant these vessels could exceed the IMO requirement to cut carbon intensity by at least 40% by 2030 versus 2008 levels.
UECC has taken a proactive approach to adoption of alternative fuels such as biofuels and liquefied biomethane, or bioLNG, to achieve major emission savings for its customers under the Sail for Change environmental initiative.
The company has also implemented other energy efficiency measures across its wider fleet such as waste heat recovery systems, air lubrication systems, high-efficiency anti-fouling coatings and advanced hull designs, while equipping its vessels for cold ironing at ports. Ship operations are also being optimised through advanced voyage planning, speed management and route optimisation. Future-proof technologies such as advanced propulsion systems and energy-efficient capabilities will be incorporated into further newbuilds so they are adaptable to future technical advancements and regulatory changes