Wallenius christens new cutting-edge car carrier Future Way

Photo: Wallenius

In a ceremony held in Emden, Germany, today,Stockholm, Sweden-headquartered Wallenius Marine’ christened the Future Way, the first of two 6,500 TEU car carriers that will go on charter for Volkswagen between Europe and North America. Built at the CIMC Raffles shipyard in China, the 200 x 37 meter vessel is based on the innovative Sleipner design concept ,

Future Way features an advanced hydro- and aerodynamic design developed by Danish naval architect firm Knud E, Hansen to reduce emissions, energy use and environmental impact.

“The Sleipner concept is the result of close co-operation between Wallenius, Knud E. Hansen and VW Group,” says Johan Mattsson, CEO of Wallenius Marine. ”The customer’s needs and experience, combined with the shipbuilding and design expertise of Knud E. Hansen and Wallenius Marine, have enabled us to take further steps towards truly sustainable shipping with Future Way.

“A distinctive feature is that the ship, thanks to its innovative design, can cross the Atlantic without ballast water in loaded condition,” says Finn Wollesen, managing director of Knud E. Hansen. “This both reduces the risk of spreading invasive species and makes the vessel lighter, leading to lower fuel consumption.”

“As Volkswagen Group Logistics, we want to be pioneers in climate-friendly logistics,” says Simon Motter, head of Volkswagen Group Logistics. “The Future Way and its sister ship, Way Forward, are helping us achieve this on the North Atlantic with their future-proof, flexible, and efficient engines from MAN Energy Solutions. They not only emit less CO2, but also fewer nitrogen oxides, soot particles, and sulfur oxides, leading to better local air quality. The innovative design of these vessels results in lower fuel consumption and allows us to reduce emissions even further today until alternative fuels made from green energy hopefully become more broadly available in the next decade.”

The vessel’s cargo capacity is equivalent to 6,500 cars, which are loaded and unloaded efficiently through an innovative center ramp system consisting of a long ramp serving all decks.

On the ship, the crew has a gym, recreational facilities and modern social areas that follow the traditional Wallenius idea of the ship being a “home away from home.”

The Future Way christening ceremony drew around 80 participants. The christening was performed by the ship’s sponsor, German-born artist Milana Schoeller, who now lives and works in Sweden.