NYK orders four post-Panamax PCTCs

OCTOBER 15, 2012 — Japan’s NYK Line has decided to build four next-generation, Post-Panamax type PCTCs (Pure Car and Truck Carriers). With a breadth 2-3 m wider than current PCTCs, they will be able to carry about 7,000 vehicles (compared with the 6,200 carried by the ship pictured here).

Two of the vessels will be built by Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. at its factory in Marugame city in Kagawa prefecture with technical assistance being provided by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. The other two vessels will be built by Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co. Ltd. at its Onishi Shipyard in Ehime prefecture. All four vessels are scheduled to be completed from 2014 to 2015.

NYK expects the worldwide demand for PCTC transport to steadily expand. These new vessels are part of the investment plan contained in NYK’s medium-term management plan “More Than Shipping 2013” and are the first PCTCs to build by the company since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

The vessels will be equipped with the latest energy-saving technology, improving fuel performance by about 30 percent per unit.

Length Overall:       Less than 200 meters
Breadth:          35–36 meters
Total Car Capacity: About 7,000 units
Ramp Capacity:       Stern ramp, 150 tons; Center ramp, 20 tons