KWL welcomes Höegh Aurora, world’s largest eco-friendly vessel

The Höegh Aurora, one of the world’s largest and most environmentally advanced car carriers, made its first Caribbean stop at Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL) on Sunday, February 23. The 9,100-car equivalent units (CEUs) vessel, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and ammonia, is designed to cut emissions significantly.

The vessel berthed at KWL’s newly constructed Berth 7, a US$30-million investment forming part of a larger US$100-million expansion over the past decade to improve cargo-handling capabilities.

Chairman of KWL Jeffrey Hall stressed the strategic foresight behind the port’s investments and the resulting business opportunities. “It is a big deal to have a vessel on the scale of Höegh Aurora call at our terminal, and it is significant that it is docked at Berth 7,” he said.

“We take those big decisions [to invest] because we are operating in a global industry and we have to be efficient and competitive,” Hall continued.

KWL is a multipurpose port terminal and provider of logistics services which became Höegh Autoliners regional motor vehicle trans-shipment hub some 15-years ago, contributing to the company’s growth as an auto logistics hub.

Mark Williams, KWL’s CEO, outlined the terminal’s ambitious target for the trans-shipment of over 500,000 vehicles per year. “Our vision is for Jamaica to emerge as a leading logistics hub, aligning with the goal of establishing a robust and well-invested port that can accommodate global logistics.”

Williams said the ongoing investments fuelling this growth include a US$6-million crane, a US$25-million logistics facility at Ashenheim Road set to launch soon, and a sophisticated information technology system to track vehicle movements. Additionally, KWL is preparing to break ground on a US$15-million, multilevel car park within the port boundary. “The facility will be best in class and will allow us to expand the capacity of the cars we can accommodate here at KWL.”

With a design that integrates solar power, the Höegh Aurora has reduced emissions by 58 per cent per car transported. compared to industry norms. Plans are also in place for the Aurora-class vessels to operate entirely on green ammonia by 2027, setting new standards for eco-friendly global shipping.

Trade Manager Agenor Olivardia described the vessel as a milestone in the company’s pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2040. “With the Höegh Aurora and the Aurora class, we are pioneering efforts to combat pollution in a hard-to-abate segment.” He added, “We are raising the demand for ammonia as a viable zero-carbon maritime fuel. And beginning in 2027, the first Aurora-class vessels will be sailing on 100 per cent green ammonia.”

Shara-Kay Kinlocke, CEO of International Shipping Limited (Intership), highlighted the strong partnership between Höegh Autoliners, KWL and Intership. She commended Höegh for its key role in environmental sustainability in shipping and congratulated KWL on its 80th anniversary. “It is indeed a significant milestone, and it is amazing to see the growth over the years and how your investments in technology and infrastructure have really helped to position you as a world-class port.”