Expanded LNG vessel with dual-fuel capacity joins European transportation network, making its third call at a Turkish port.

The shipping industry is taking strides towards a greener future, and UECC is leading the charge. The company has recently added a new vessel, the Blue Heritage, to its north-south Europe trading network.

The Blue Heritage is the sistership to the Blue Aspire, and it shares the same dual-fuel LNG engines that can also run on liquefied biomethane (LBM). This innovative technology allows the Blue Heritage to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, making it a key player in UECC's decarbonisation efforts.

The owner of the Blue Heritage is a company registered in Liberia, with specific ownership details not explicitly provided in the available search results.

The Blue Heritage can carry high and heavy (H&H) cargoes thanks to four of its 12 decks being hoistable. It has a capacity for 7,000 car equivalent units (CEUs) across its 12 decks.

The addition of the Blue Heritage comes as UECC is stepping up its efforts to improve service regularity and environmental efficiency on its European north-south service. The service now covers 12 ports, with 3 vessels on the Flushing-Autoport route and 4 vessels on the Cuxhaven-Autoport route.

UECC's European north-south service is seeing an increase in contractual volumes from both existing and new customers. In response, the company is working to boost emissions cuts. Last year, UECC reported a reduction of over 107,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, a 70% increase from the reduction of over 63,000 tonnes achieved in 2023. UECC aims to achieve a total reduction of nearly 155,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions this year, a 50% increase from last year's reduction.

The new port rotation includes Flushing, Zeebrugge, Cuxhaven, Vigo, Yarímca, Efesan, Autoport, Bremerhaven, Zeebrugge, Portbury, Vigo, Sagunto, Livorno, Piraeus, and Autoport (returning to Cuxhaven). The Blue Heritage will make an additional port call in Turkey at Yarímca.

UECC's OEM customers now include Toyota, Ford, and JLR. The company's vessels already call at the Turkish ports of Efesan and Autoport.

UECC's commitment to environmental sustainability is evident in its Sail for Change decarbonisation initiative, of which the Blue Heritage is a part. The company reported a "massive reduction in well-to-wake CO2 emissions in 2024" due to its use of LBM on LNG-fuelled vessels.

The European north-south service has seen a significant improvement in emissions reduction, reflecting UECC's dedication to a greener future for the shipping industry.

Expanded LNG vessel with dual-fuel capacity joins European transportation network, making its third call at a Turkish port.