Portrait of the Aurora class: Designing the future of the maritime industry

The future is looking both green and bright for Höegh Autoliners with the launch of the new Aurora class vessels design - and the signing of firm contracts for the delivery of the first eight Aurora vessels already by first half of 2026.

The Aurora class will be the largest and most environmentally friendly car carriers ever built.

Designed to carry up to 9 100 cars, the multi-fuel and zero carbon ready Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels will be the first in the PCTC segment to be able to operate on zero carbon ammonia.

They signify a breakthrough in reaching Höegh Autoliners' ambitious net zero emissions target by 2040. Sebjørn Dahl, Chief Operations Officer at Höegh Autoliners, explains about the design process:

"We dreamed of taking the Company in a whole new direction, adapting our current and future fleet to a green and more sustainable future. We succeeded in doing that with the launch of our Aurora class vessels and are now ahead of the pack in sustainable deep sea transportation. No one has designed a similar vessel."

Reducing the environmental footprint

Historically, Höegh Autoliners has a solid track record on emission cuts and long-term efforts to combating climate change. Between 2008-2021, we achieved an improved carbon intensity of 37% across our fleet and we are already in a good position to meeting the IMO 2030 target of 40% reduction.

Sebjørn Dahl says:

"Our strong focus on emission cuts has put us in the forefront in sustainable deep sea shipping. Together with our Aurora class vessels we are demonstrating how we can strengthen our leading position in decarbonisation and cargo efficiency."

The Aurora class was designed with flexibility in mind.

The vessel will have DNV's ammonia and methanol ready notation and will be the first in the PCTC segment to operate on zero carbon ammonia.

Designed for future cargo the vessel's strengthened decks and enhanced internal ramp systems enable Electric Vehicles on all decks and provides more flexibility for heavier project cargo.

A highly sustainable and innovative solution, which the customers have grown increasingly interested in, Sebjørn Dahl points out.

"The Aurora class represents the future of our business as well as the future of the industry. We are proud to be setting the gold standard by reducing our environmental footprint significantly and enabling our customers to decarbonise their supply chain as well," Sebjørn Dahl says.