On April 28, 2026, the world's first 10800 vehicle LNG PCTC "GLOVIS LEADER", exclusively developed by SDARI and constructed by CSSC Guangzhou Shipbuilding International, was officially named and delivered. The successful landing of the ship demonstrates China's hard core manufacturing strength and marks the official entry of global automobile shipping into a new era of 10000 vehicle capacity, which has milestone significance in the history of international ship development.

Excellent ship size parameters

This car transport giant ship, known as the "super garage" at sea, has a total length of 230 meters, a width of 40 meters, and a deck to bottom height of 48 meters, equivalent to the height of a 16 story building. The ship has a draft of 10.5 meters and is navigable in mainstream roll on/roll off ports worldwide, with strong adaptability; Designed with a speed of 19 knots, it not only meets the efficient turnover needs of the automotive supply chain, but also has excellent fuel economy. Scientific and reasonable size design enables ships to achieve comprehensive balance in carrying capacity, operational efficiency, and navigation performance, leading in overall performance.

Flexible and efficient loading capacity

The ship is equipped with 14 garage decks, of which 5 are adjustable and movable decks, with strong loading flexibility. It can flexibly load various types of new energy vehicles such as electric, hydrogen, CLNG, LPG, etc., with a maximum load capacity of 10800 vehicles. It is currently the world's largest and most technologically advanced ultra large vehicle roll on/roll off transport ship. In addition, some decks of the ship can be loaded with packaged dangerous goods and refrigerated containers, greatly enriching the categories of cargo loading. Compared with the 9000 vehicle class dual fuel PCTC, the total deck area of the ship has increased by 16% to 20%, and the operating cost of single vehicle fuel has decreased by more than 8%. It can carry ultra-high and overweight roll on/roll off cargo, and its scale advantage and economic benefits are very prominent.

Outstanding green and low-carbon performance

The ship is equipped with a dual fuel propulsion system of LNG and fuel oil, combined with EGR technology, which fully complies with the IMO Tier III emission standards. The ship is equipped with a 1450 kW high-performance permanent magnet shaft belt power generation equipment independently developed by CSSC 704 Institute, which can generate electricity by sailing with the surplus power of the main engine, combined with a high-voltage shore power system, reducing carbon emissions by more than 30% compared to traditional fuel powered ships, and achieving significant energy-saving and emission reduction effects. At the same time, the ship reserves qualifications for ammonia fuel and methanol fuel adaptation, providing upgrade space for future adaptation to various zero carbon and low-carbon fuels. The R&D team is also deploying multiple energy-saving technologies on board, such as sail assistance, solar power generation, and carbon capture, to lay a solid technological foundation for achieving carbon neutrality goals for ships in the future. Car roll on/roll off transport ships belong to high-end ship types with high technology and high added value. The successful delivery of the GLOVIS LEADER is a major technological breakthrough for Shanghai Shipbuilding Research and Design Institute in this field, setting a benchmark for global automotive and maritime green transformation and further consolidating its leading position in global industry innovation.

For a long time, the Ship Academy has adhered to the research and development concept of green, intelligent, and efficient, continuously iterated new ship technologies, and created new ship types. It has successively developed multiple benchmark level automobile transport ships, covering multiple technological routes such as dual fuel, hybrid, and methanol reserve. In the past six years, among the same type of ships delivered and under construction worldwide, the design market share of shipyards has exceeded 50%, and a fully covered and serialized ship product system has been established. Keywords: China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, automobile transport ships, green and low-carbon

Ammonia fuel, as a high-quality zero carbon ship energy, has broad prospects for commercial development. Relying on a mature ship research and development platform, Shangshang Institute continues to deepen its technological research and development on the basis of the first ammonia fuel powered transport ship, overcoming multiple core challenges such as system adaptation and safety assurance, and achieving key technological breakthroughs. The 13000 vehicle level ammonia fuel ultra large transport ship developed by it has obtained AiP certification, laying a solid foundation for market promotion and order acceptance. With high-quality Chinese technology and solutions, it helps the global shipping industry achieve zero carbon transformation.Editor/Gong Ziwei