On February 23, reporters learned from the Anhui Provincial Port and Shipping Group that the "Huanghu" vessel successfully completed its maiden voyage through the Suez Canal on February 16 and is currently en route to its destination, the Turkish port of Derince.

As the first 7,000-car LNG dual-fuel "ro-ro" ship from our province, its passage through the Suez Canal marks an important beginning for new automotive ro-ro vessels on the China-Europe route.

In 2024, our province's automobile exports reached 954,000 units, ranking first in the nation in export volume. Take JAC Group as an example; currently, over 85% of its export business is shipped from Anhui ports and Shanghai Port. There is an urgent need to streamline logistics channels.

Using automotive transport ships (ro-ro ships) is becoming the primary mode of transportation for vehicle exports.

To take this step, Anhui Provincial Port and Shipping Group, Chery Automobile, and JAC Group jointly established Anhui Hangrui International Ro-Ro Transport Co., Ltd., specializing in overseas automotive transportation. This company will connect inland ro-ro ships with ocean-going ro-ro vessels, addressing the transportation shortcomings of our province as an inland region, and build a stable, reliable, and cost-competitive maritime channel for Anhui's automotive exports.

On January 21, the "Huanghu" departed from Shanghai Haitong Terminal for its maiden voyage, concurrently opening the China-Mediterranean route. On this voyage, the "Huanghu" carried over 4,300 export vehicles, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and construction machinery. The ship departed from Shanghai, passed through the Suez Canal in Egypt, and made stops at ports in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and finally arrived at Derince Port in Turkey.

"In the past, we mainly rented some international ro-ro ships, but due to tight shipping capacity, we often needed to resort to rail transportation, which is inefficient and costly. With the 'Huanghu,' sailing through the Suez Canal saves about 45% of the voyage distance, reducing the travel time by 18 days, significantly lowering fuel consumption and operational costs," said Yang Xianping, general manager of Anhui Hangrui International Ro-Ro Transport Co., Ltd.

Moving forward, Anhui province will continue to expand routes to Mexico, Northwest Europe, and the Mediterranean, further constructing a dual-channel service matrix of "ro-ro + container."

Source: Hefei Evening News