New coastal ship has low emissions level

Pacifica Shipping’s new 700 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) container ship, which began its east coast service mid-November, will set record low levels for CO2 emissions in the domestic transport sector, the company says.

The vessel provides a weekly feeder link to uplift and deliver container freight, including reefer cargo, between four of New Zealand’s ports – Auckland, Tauranga, Lyttelton and Dunedin. At 130 m long, the ship will handle domestic goods as well as import and export cargo.

Pacficia’s CEO, Rod Grout, says the Spirit of Endurance is capable of slashing CO2 emissions by 60,000 tonnes a year on long-haul freight. “For every tonne of freight shipped 1000 km between Auckland and Canterbury, for example, it produces just 14 kg of CO2 compared to 92 kg for a heavy truck,” he says. “Even the rail mode, which is considered environmentally friendly, produces nearly twice as much CO2 over the same distance.”

Mr Grout says that diverting 20,000 tonnes of long-haul freight from road to the ship will reduce the country’s carbon footprint by 1500 tonnes per week. Based on road and rail’s current share of long-distance freight between the main centres, total savings would come to 60,000 tonnes of CO2 in one year. “This is a significant saving for the transport, and demonstrates how coastal shipping can reduce the impact of fossil fuel emissions on the environment,” Mr Grout adds.

Because of this, the vessel is well suited to the previous government’s ‘Sea Change’ initiative of moving 30 percent of all freight by coastal ships by 2030. “Sea freight accounts for 15 percent of total goods carried in New Zealand, about half of this on an ad hoc basis by in-transit overseas ships,” Mr Grout says. “By comparison, Japan moves 41 percent of its domestic freight by coastal ships, so we have a lot to aspire to in terms of growth potential.”

The launch of Pacifica’s new coastal shipping service was welcomed by Ports of Auckland’s managing director Jens Madsen. “Coastal shipping creates significant supply chain efficiencies by giving the major shipping lines more options for moving cargo around New Zealand. This is good news for New Zealand’s importers and exporters.”

The Spirit of Endurance, built in China this year, has a service speed of 17 knots and a gross tonnage of 7464 tonnes. The vessel trebles Pacifica’s container carrying capacity when added to the Spirit of Resolution, which operates between Lyttelton, Nelson, New Plymouth and Auckland’s Onehunga port each week.

Pacifica Shipping ’s new 700 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) container ship, which began its east coast service mid-November, will set record low levels for CO2 emissions in the domestic transport sector, the company says.

The vessel provides a weekly feeder link to uplift and deliver container freight, including reefer cargo, between four of New Zealand’s ports – Auckland, Tauranga, Lyttelton and Dunedin. At 130 m long, the ship will handle domestic goods as well as import and export cargo.

Pacficia’s CEO, Rod Grout, says the Spirit of Endurance is capable of slashing CO2 emissions by 60,000 tonnes a year on long-haul freight. “For every tonne of freight shipped 1000 km between Auckland and Canterbury, for example, it produces just 14 kg of CO2 compared to 92 kg for a heavy truck,” he says. “Even the rail mode, which is considered environmentally friendly, produces nearly twice as much CO2 over the same distance.”

Mr Grout says that diverting 20,000 tonnes of long-haul freight from road to the ship will reduce the country’s carbon footprint by 1500 tonnes per week. Based on road and rail’s current share of long-distance freight between the main centres, total savings would come to 60,000 tonnes of CO2 in one year. “This is a significant saving for the transport, and demonstrates how coastal shipping can reduce the impact of fossil fuel emissions on the environment,” Mr Grout adds.

Because of this, the vessel is well suited to the previous government’s ‘Sea Change’ initiative of moving 30 percent of all freight by coastal ships by 2030. “Sea freight accounts for 15 percent of total goods carried in New Zealand, about half of this on an ad hoc basis by in-transit overseas ships,” Mr Grout says. “By comparison, Japan moves 41 percent of its domestic freight by coastal ships, so we have a lot to aspire to in terms of growth potential.”

The launch of Pacifica’s new coastal shipping service was welcomed by Ports of Auckland’s managing director Jens Madsen. “Coastal shipping creates significant supply chain efficiencies by giving the major shipping lines more options for moving cargo around New Zealand. This is good news for New Zealand’s importers and exporters.”

The Spirit of Endurance, built in China this year, has a service speed of 17 knots and a gross tonnage of 7464 tonnes. The vessel trebles Pacifica’s container carrying capacity when added to the Spirit of Resolution, which operates between Lyttelton, Nelson, New Plymouth and Auckland’s Onehunga port each week.

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