It is learned on December 5 from Jiemian Xinwen (Interface News), according to Tradewinds, the world’s largest shipping news service organization, recently reported that BYD has signed an order with China Merchants Industry for four 9,400-space dual-fuel car ro-ro ships (PCTC). The car ro-ro ship is a multi-purpose ship that is widely used in vehicle transportation.
The total price of the order is at least US$400 million (approximately RMB 2.783 billion). Two ships will be built by China Merchants Industry Nanjing Jinling and China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu), and are expected to be delivered successively from 2025.
The dual-fuel vehicle ro-ro ship ordered by BYD will have the largest loading capacity among similar ships in the world. According to data from the Clarkson Research Institute, a shipping market analysis agency, the world’s largest car ro-ro ship was the “Aurora” class car ro-ro ship launched by Norway’s Hoegh Autoliners. The ship’s design loading capacity is 9,100 cars.
Media outlet Caixin reported in October this year that BYD is planning to build its own car transport fleet. Its affiliated company will order eight ro-ro ships that can carry 7,700 cars at a shipyard in Shandong to cope with the rapid growth of car exports.
The report mentioned that BYD will build 6 car ro-ro ships, and the other 2 ships are option orders. The total cost of shipbuilding orders is close to 5 billion yuan. Option order means that the buyer has the right to choose whether to order the agreed ship at the agreed price within a certain period of time.
If the above two orders land, BYD is expected to become the second domestic auto company with its own fleet.
Previously, SAIC operated its own fleet through its subsidiary SAIC Anji Logistics. In January this year, SAIC also placed an order for two 7,600-space car ro-ro ships from Jiangnan Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, to supplement capacity.
Automobile companies have placed orders to build car ro-ro ships, mainly due to factors such as the increase in car exports and the high cost of shipping.