Top 10 Largest RoRo Ships: RoRo ships are maritime vehicles that are primarily used for the transportation of wheeled freight, including automobiles, trucks, train cars, and construction equipment like cranes. There are several varieties of these boats, including pure car carriers and pure car and truck carriers.
British industry and the growth of the worldwide maritime sector spurred the use of RORO ships and their widespread development from the 19th century onwards.
In the modern world, the construction of larger, more ecologically friendly, and highly efficient vehicle carriers is underway due to the development of transportation technology.
Let’s examine the Top 10 Largest RoRo Ships now operating in the world.
1. MK-V ships of Wallenius Wilhelmsen – MV Tønsberg
The Norwegian shipping and vehicle transportation company Wallenius Wilhelmsen owns the largest roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessel in the world, known as MV Tonsberg. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries built it, put it into service in 2011, and it is presently sailing under Malta’s flag. It can transport 138,000 m3 of freight overall.
Its low, double-bottomed hull, which is based on the revolutionary Mark V technology, allows the boat to move effortlessly over severe seas. The vessel is 265 meters long overall, 32 meters wide, and 11 meters deep. With a gross tonnage of 75,251, the ship has six decks for the transportation of vehicles, breakbulk, and heavy rolling and non-containerized goods.
The permanent yet liftable inner ramps make it simple to load and unload ro-ro without the need for shore cranes. The deck-2 ramp can handle 450 tons of cargo, while the outer ramp can handle yachts, windmill components, and containers.
The cargo storage area takes up 31,300 square meters of the deck’s overall size of almost 50,000 square meters. The remaining space consists of the 37 crew members’ quarters, an emergency evacuation section outfitted with a lifeboat, an office, and a conference room.
Fuel oil and marine diesel with low sulfur content power the ship’s propulsion system and fuel tanks, reducing annual carbon footprint by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
2. Figaro Vehicle Carrier
According to the Lloyd’s Shipping Register, Figaro is a Large Car Truck Carrier with the capacity to move 430 buses in addition to 7880 automobiles or 3550 autos. One of the largest ships in the Wallenius Wilhelmsen RORO fleet, it was built in 2011 by South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering and is currently flying the Swedish flag.
The vehicle carrier has dimensions of 232 m in length and 32 m in width, and her projected draft is 10.5 m. Her summer deadweight is 31143 tonnes, and her gross tonnage is 74258 tonnes. The ship’s average sailing speed is about 16 knots, with a maximum speed of 20 knots.
To accommodate big vehicles like trucks and buses, it has nine decks and two main loading and unloading ramps close to the starboard side. Cars are loaded onto the second outside ramp. The main outer ramp 1 provides access to the fifth deck, which houses conventional cargo. With exceptional maneuverability, four of the decks are fixed while the remaining ones are liftable.
The automated control system governs the main engine, while engineers design the rudders to deliver maximum efficiency with minimal resistance. They install an automated fire extinguishing system and two emergency generators—a diesel generator and a shaft generator. Below the garage deck are the living quarters for the ship’s 39 crew members, along with a lifeboat and four rafts.
3. CLdn Group’s MV Celine
MV One of the biggest short-sea RORO ships, Celine is owned by the Luxembourg-based CLdn, a well-known RORO ship operator in Continental Europe. It was built at the South Korean Hyundai Mipo Shipyard and debuted in 2018.
The vehicle carrier may be able to carry 8000 lane meters. Her dimensions are 35 meters in width and 235 meters in length, with a gross tonnage of 74273 tons. Rotterdam and Zeebrugge are her home ports. It would increase the port of Dublin’s capability for handling roll-on/roll-off cargo. In order to make room for MV Celine, which transports cargo between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland, the port’s three berths were extended. This move is anticipated to improve Ireland’s marine trade ties with Europe.
The ship has two main ramps for parking automobiles and lorries, and it has five decks overall. There are three decks set aside for truck storage. It combines the rapid speed of ferries with the enormous bulk of deep-sea vessels. Its engine is two-stroke instead of four-stroke, which offers reduced carbon emissions and great efficiency compared to other vessels.
4. Century Highway Green of the K-Line
Imabari Shipbuilding Company’s Tadotsu Shipyard in Japan built the car carrier Century Highway Green for Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd in 2021. The ship refers to as an environmentally friendly vessel because it runs on liquified natural gas rather than heavy fuel oil and utilizes cutting-edge exhaust gas recirculation technology, which reduces carbon emissions by 25% and sulfur and nitrogen emissions by 85%.
With a 200 m length and a 38 m beam, the car carrier is currently flying the Japanese flag. The present draft of Century Highway Green is 9 meters, and its carrying capacity is 16844 tons DWT. Century Highway Green can transport cars at a time in 7080. Its gross tonnage is 73515 tons, and its fuel tank can store 2440 m3 of LNG. The ship has a summer deadweight of 16844 tonnes and a service speed of 20 knots.
While ancillary engines, such as boilers and generators, can run on either LNG or marine gas oil, the main engine can run on dual fuel. The former is a ME-GI kind that dramatically reduces greenhouse gas production of methane.
The crew has spread their living quarters, life-saving gear, etc. throughout six decks of the carrier. They have loaded the newest digital and remote monitoring systems onto the ship. The fuel systems compartment, engine room, garage deck, and generator are all equipped with WiFi. Additionally, it has a Class NK-CMAXS, a special system that foresees engine failure and helps to avert catastrophic collisions. Having cameras monitor every deck is an additional layer of security.
5. ARC endurance
The American Roll-On-Roll-Off Carrier, a US-based RoRo firm with a commercial fleet of 11 RoRo vessels, is the owner of the vehicle carrier Arc Endurance. With a current draft of 7.6 meters, the Arc Endurance is the largest of its fleet, measuring 264.6 meters in length and 32.29 meters in width.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries developed Arc Endurance in 1996; it was formerly known as Taronga. Even after 26 years of service, it remains the world’s sixth largest RoRo ship. With a gross tonnage of 72,708 and a total carrying capacity of 48988 tons DWT, it is now sailing under the USA’s flagship. It can sail at an average speed of 16.2 knots and a maximum speed of 20.3 knots.
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It can accommodate 260,000 square feet of heavy freight on its nine decks. With a lifting capacity of 330 tonnes, the carrier has two main ramps and a quarter ramp. It also has an optimized control system with flexible and liftable decks that facilitate loading and unloading. This technique also helps to maximize the carrying capacity of the ship by rearranging its layout to accommodate cargo other than automobiles.
This airline frequently calls at the ports around the Gulf, traveling over the Mediterranean to get to South Asia and the Middle East. Arc Endurance frequently visits Jeddah, Alexandria, and other ports.
6. Eco Livorno
The Grimaldi Shipping Company categorizes its RoRo carrier Eco Livorno as a GG5G vessel, which includes the largest and greenest RoRo ships in the world. The ship sailed under the Italian flag after Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing built it in 2021. She carries about 67,311 tons in gross weight. The ship has seven decks that can hold 7800 linear meters of cargo, which is equivalent to 182 automobiles and 495 trailers. With a current draft of 6.9 meters, she measures 238 meters in length and 34 meters in width. Her top sailing speed is 20.8 knots.
With the latest technology, Grimaldi ships’ carbon emissions are half that of older ro-ro ships. Since they run on solar-charged lithium batteries, these vessels produce no greenhouse gases when moored at a port. This ship, which has an automated engine management system, often calls at the ports of Livorno, Valencia, Savona, and Barcelona.
7. MKIV ships of Wallenius Wilhelmsen
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Shipping Company operates the MKIV class of RoRo ships, which are one of the largest vehicle carriers in the world. The company operates five different classes of RoRo ships. Shipbuilders make these ships expressly to transport breakbulk and large pieces of machinery or construction equipment without sacrificing the ability to carry cars. They have automatic stern ramps that can raise 500 tons and move cargo up to 7 meters high.
Four car carriers on the MKIV class vessels are designed to reduce emissions while utilizing less energy. The image is solely for representational purposes. These freighters are all flying the Norwegian flag. Tamerlane was constructed in 2001, while Talisman, Tamesis, and Tarago were constructed in 2000. To enhance communication and enable real-time tracking, they digitalize and share comparable dimensions and carrying capabilities. Her length is 240.6 m, and her width is 32.30 m.
8. Ephesus Seaways
The renowned ship design firm Knude E. Hansen created the RoRo carrier Ephesus Seaways, which was built in the Chinese Jinling Shipyard in 2019 for the Danish international shipping and logistics group DFDS, who had ordered a total of 5 of these ships to increase the size of its RoRo fleet.
The ships are the most ecologically friendly of the DFDS Company’s commercial fleet, satisfying the IMO energy requirement. They have garnered praise for their elegant and energy-efficient design.
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Ephesus Seaways, formerly called Gothia Seaways, are 238 meters long and 34 meters wide. Her estimated draught is 6.8 meters, and her total tonnage is around 60,400. She is now operating under the Turkish flag and her deadweight is 21500 tons.
It has a 23600 KW Man-B&W engine that allows it to sail up to 20 knots at its fastest. Its distinctive ramp structure makes it simple to accommodate many RoRo types. The automated ramp system on the ship facilitates quick loading and unloading of up to 460 trailers.
9. Felicity Ace
The Shin Kurushima Dockyard built the car and truck carrier Felicity Ace in 2005. The Japanese company Mitsui O.S.K lines was operating this massive cargo vessel under the flag of Panama.
The freight ship measured 32.27 meters in width and almost 200 meters in length. 60,118 tonnes was its gross tonnage, and her deadweight was 17738 tons. She achieved a maximum sailing speed of 19.5 mph with a draft of 9.2 m.
After blazing for weeks, the ship sank on March 1, 2022, close to the Azores islands. On February 16, when the 60,000-ton cargo ship was traveling across the North Atlantic Ocean, it caught fire. The ship carrying 4,000 electric vehicles from high-end manufacturers including Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Volkswagen capsized while sailing toward Rhode Island, resulting in a loss of over 400 million dollars.
10. Morning crown
Under the Bahamas’ flag, Morning Crown is a massive Ro-Ro ship that Det Norske Veritas has classified as a Vehicle Carrier. In 2005, the Polish company Stocznia Gdynia SA built it for the shipping company Crown Maritime Limited.
The cargo carrier has dimensions of 199.94 m in length and 32.29 m in width, and its draft is 8.5 m. Her gross tonnage is 57,692 tonnes, and she has a carrying capacity of about 21,052 tonnes. The ship has four decks and two major ramps.
Because of its hoistable decks, which allow for optimal space utilization for carrying the greatest number of vehicles of varied sizes, it can hold 6600 cars. A 7S60MC-C engine with 15857 KW and a top speed of 19.8 knots powers it.