Wallenius Lines’ takes delivery of multi-fuel car carrier Future Way

Future Way, the inaugural vessel of Wallenius Lines’ sustainable fleet, has been delivered from CIMC Raffles Shipyard in Longkou, China.

The multi-fuel car carrier was ordered in 2021 as part of a contract Wallenius Marine signed with Volkswagen for two multi-fuel vessels with the ability to carry 6,500 cars each. Under the deal, the two ships have been chartered out to  Volkswagen Konzernlogistik GmbH & Co. OHG and will transport new vehicles of the Volkswagen Group for at least ten years. Wallenius Marine will be in charge of ship management duties.

Future Way will be followed by her sister ship Way Forward in a few months, according to Wallenius Marine.

“This is a big step towards our vision to lead the way towards truly sustainable shipping,” said Johan Mattsson, CEO Wallenius Marine.

Constructed in collaboration with KNUD E. HANSEN, these multi-fuel vessels will be able to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied biogas (LBG), diesel, and synthetic diesel.

Additionally, they have been designed as battery-ready and are fitted with shore power connections, enabling them to achieve zero emissions while in port.

The vessels feature an aerodynamically optimized bow that reduces drag, which is expected to be particularly advantageous for operations in windy conditions prevalent in the Atlantic region, offering fuel savings.

They also integrate a novel ramp system design, engineered to streamline port operations, thus enabling the vessel to maintain slower speeds at sea, and a shaft generator with active front-end aimed at cutting fuel consumption, further enhancing its eco-efficiency.

Wallenius Marine is designing the first vessels from the Oceanbird concept – a wind-powered pure car and truck carrier. In June 2021, Alfa Laval and Wallenius entered into a 50/50 joint venture formally called AlfaWall Oceanbird to develop and provide technology for fully wind-powered vessel propulsion.

In March 2024, the duo said that the tender design for the world’s first wind-powered roll-on/roll-off vessel was finalised. The design features six wing sails arranged in parallel across the deck. Following verification through prototype and wind tunnel tests, the design will be ready for implementation at a shipyard.