New Zealand’s MOVE Logistics Group (MOVE) is pressing ahead with a landmark order for a methanol-capable roro for the country’s coastal trades.
Earlier this year, MOVE successfully secured NZ$10m ($6m) in co-investment funds from transport agency Waka Kotahi to support the planned roro investment.
The vessel design will include a methanol tank and pipework installation during construction. This ensures the new vessel is ready for the swap-in of carbon-friendly methanol powered engines as they become available.
The new roro will be able to berth wheeled cargo into at least 13 New Zealand ports, without the need for any new port infrastructure to be built. The vessel will initially operate three sailings a week between Nelson and New Plymouth and provide an additional sea bridge between the North and South Islands. Details of where and when the ship will be built have yet to be revealed.
