Höegh Autoliners & Svitzer set new standard for sustainable shipping in Australia

Agreement around EcoTow solution secures Höegh Autoliners the first-ever, low-carbon towage service in Australia.

8 January 20254 min read

The Höegh Aurora’s maiden voyage to Australia

Copenhagen, Oslo, 8 January 2025 – Svitzer, a leading global towage provider, and Höegh Autoliners, a leading global provider of ocean transportation services in the Roll-on, Roll-off segment, have partnered to deliver Svitzer’s first ever EcoTow solution in Australia, servicing the largest and most environmentally friendly car-carrier vessel class in the world on its call to four ports ‘Down Under’.

EcoTow

EcoTow is Svitzer’s proprietary carbon insetting solution, and it has provided a near 100% reduction in CO2 emissions relating to the towage operations of Höegh Aurora’s port calls during her maiden voyage to Australia. With the EcoTow solution, the carbon emissions from towage jobs are mass balanced by carbon credits generated by Svitzer’s use of biofuel across its international towage operations. The neutralisation effect is established by an external auditor and documented through certification and assurance reporting.

Towage is one of the largest carbon emitters in port operations in Australia, and Svitzer has a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy targeting its reduction, including via biofuel and battery powered tugs.

The Höegh Aurora is a multi-fuel capable vessel – cutting carbon emissions per car transported by 58 per cent compared to the current industry standard.

The uptake of EcoTow by Höegh Autoliners in Australia highlights the significant progress in maritime decarbonisation and potential net zero operations possible in the future.

In September, Svitzer also contracted the build of the world’s first battery electric-methanol hybrid TRAnsverse tug – which will offer carbon neutral towage for the majority of the tug’s operations. The tug design offers Port authorities and shipping line companies a towage solution able to support sustainable ‘Green Port’ and ‘Green Shipping Corridor’ ambitions.

Sebjørn Dahl, Chief Operations Officer at Höegh Autoliners, said:

“Höegh Autoliners is whole-heartedly set on achieving our 2040 net-zero emissions goal, and the EcoTow agreement with Svitzer on the Höegh Aurora’s visit to Australia illustrates our ongoing commitment in meeting these goals. We are proud to have secured the first-ever, low-carbon towage service in Australia and it is only appropriate that our innovative, world-leading Aurora Class vessel delivers this first, providing the opportunity to further reduce the carbon footprint of our customers’ value chains.”

Svitzer’s Managing Director for Australia, Videlina Georgieva, said:

“This is an exciting step forward for decarbonising shipping in Australia – and a demonstration of the significant contribution maritime can make toward a Net Zero future. “We commend Höegh Autoliners for the industry leadership they have shown and their commitment to driving a cleaner, more sustainable future. We are thankful for the opportunity to work closely with our customers to reduce emissions while also providing sustainable, safe and reliable marine services.

“Svitzer has ambitious decarbonisation goals to have fully carbon neutral operations by 2040 and to reduce the carbon intensity of its tugboat fleet by 50 per cent by 2030. We hope this initiative provides some further impetus to the policy landscape in Australia where there is a major, but largely unmet, opportunity to accelerate bioenergy and electrification solutions in maritime decarbonisation.”

The Höegh Aurora’s maiden voyage to Australia occurred in late December 2024, departing on 30 December after completing a four-port visit to Australia where it transported cars to the Australian retail automotive market via ports at Fremantle, Melbourne, Port Kembla and Brisbane.

About Svitzer

Svitzer is a leading global towage and marine services provider. The core business is to assist large seaborne vessels in manoeuvring in and out of ports and terminals to berth and unberth. With more than 450 vessels, Svitzer’s services play a crucial role as part of critical port infrastructure. Svitzer was founded in 1833 and serves approximately 2,000 customers in more than 140 ports and 40 terminals across 37 countries. Read more on www.svitzer.com.

About the Höegh Aurora Class Vessel

The Höegh Aurora is a multi-fuel capable vessel, cutting carbon emissions per car transported by 58 per cent compared to the current industry standard when running on LNG. Most importantly for the future of decarbonisation of shipping, the Aurora class vessel can be converted to run on ammonia, which can be a net-zero-carbon fuel when produced using renewable energy and is also virtually free of sulfur oxide and particulate matter emissions. The first net zero Aurora Class vessels are set to run on ammonia directly from yard from 2027. The Aurora class is the most environmentally advanced PCTC (‘pure car, truck carrier’) vessel in the world today. With strengthened decks and enhanced internal ramp systems, the vessels are also capable of carrying electric vehicles on all 14 decks. The design includes solar panels on the top deck and are also be primed to embrace electric shore power for emissions-free port operations.