Höegh Aurora, World’s Largest Eco-Friendly Vessel Calls at Kingston Wharves
The vessel, which also harnesses solar power, is already reducing emissions by 58% per car transported compared to the industry standard and plans are in place for the Aurora class to run entirely on ammonia by 2027.
The vessel docked a Kingston Wharves newly constructed Berth 7, which was an investment of US$30 million as part of a slate of some US$100 million investments made by the port company in the last decade to bolster its cargo handling capability.
Kingston Wharves Chairman Jeffrey Hall pointed to the alignment between critical investments made by Kingston Wharves and the business opportunities it was now reaping. “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.
“We take those big decisions (to invest in our business) because we are operating in a global industry and we have to be efficient and competitive,” the Chairman said. He added that KWL has made major investments because of the seriousness of its global partners like Höegh Autoliners in investing in their own businesses and their track record of innovation and strong spirit of enterprise.
Kingston Wharves is a multi-purpose port terminal and provider of logistics services. Höegh Autoliners established the KWL Port Terminal as its regional motor vehicle transhipment hub some 15-years ago, contributing to the company’s growth as an auto logistics hub.
In his comments, CEO Mark Williams outlined a bold vision for Kingston Wharves and by extension Jamaica to cement its position in the global auto transhipment space by moving over 500,000 vehicles per annum in the future, adding value and providing additional employment opportunities. “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,” he said.
Mr. Williams noted that the partnership among Höegh, its agents International Shipping (Intership) and Kingston Wharves has continued to flourish over the years, and with further investments he anticipated more growth.
Expressing pride at the arrival of the Höegh Aurora, Mr. Williams said the fact that Höegh Autoliners chose the Port of Kingston for its first visit to the Caribbean was a testament to the strong relationship KWL enjoyed with the global carrier, adding: “More importantly, it attests to the confidence in the infrastructure, technology and expertise of the team that we have developed over the years.”
In addition to Berth 7, Mr. Williams recalled that KWL also invested in US$6 million in a new crane and US$25 million in building out a logistics facility at Ashenheim Road set to come on stream shortly. He also pointed to investment in the company’s very robust IT system to track the large volume of cars moving through the port for the domestic and transhipment markets.
The company would shortly break ground on the construction of its previously announced US$15 Million multi-level car park within the port boundary, the CEO disclosed, explaining that, “The facility will be best in class and that will allow us to expand the capacity of the cars we can accommodate here at KWL,” he said.
Agenor Olivardia, Trade Manager at Höegh, in a message, declared that the Höegh Aurora was setting new standards for sustainable deep sea shipping and represented a monumental leap towards the company’s ambitious 2040 goals of net-zero emissions operations.
“With the Höegh Aurora and the Aurora Class, we are pioneering efforts to combat pollution in a hard to abate segment. Höegh Autoliners have always innovated and explored ways, and changed the future for the better, but the Aurora Class is our most impactful innovation yet; the world’s leading deep sea vessels in the PCTC segment is already reducing emissions by 58% per car transported compared to the industry standard,” he stated.
Underscoring the vessel’s leading role in the industry’s green transition, Mr. Olivardia said, “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% green ammonia.”
Shara-Kay Kinlocke Chief Operating Officer of Intership noted that the shipping agents and Höegh Autoliners valued the partnership built with Kingston Wharves over the years and looked forward to the strengthening the relationship in the years to come.
She lauded the 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,” Ms. Kinlocke underscored.
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