#WorldLargestPCTC - The World's largest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel, Höegh Target, with a capacity for 8,500 car equivalent units, departed Dublin Port this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 14 deck-high PCTC newbuild docked yesterday at Ocean Pier in Alexandra Basin east. The caller to Dublin Port is the leadship of six new ‘Horizon’ class for Norwegian operator, Höegh Autoliners'. In July this year, the 77,000 tonnes newbuild was delivered in China and represents the first post-panamax vessel. She made her maiden voyage from East Asia to Europe.

Höegh Target with her distinctive square shaped superstructure that overhangs the bow is to maximise capacity. To give a sense of the sheer scale of these giant vessels, the maximum 8,500 cars if put in a row would form a line equivalent the length of a marathon. The total deck area is equal to the size of10 football fields (71 400 sqm).

The Horizon class newbuild offer 6.5 metres of free deck height. It is claimed that the 12 meter width ramp could easily crowd 75 elephants! on the stern ramp which takes 375 tonnes of cargo weight.

A sister, Höegh Trigger was named in September at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industries. Höegh Autoliners will take delivery of a further quartet with the final of the post-Panamax PCTC's to be completed in 2016.

The sisters are given DNV-GL’s class notification “CLEAN” for its cleaner design.

Below are further ‘Horizon’ class characteristics

Breadth Moulded 36.5m
Deadweight 20766
Mt Draught Max. 10.3m
Length O.A. 199.9m
Breadth 36.8m
Air Draft 46.5m

Door Openings Ramps
Type Width Height Type Length Capacity
Stern Opening 12 m 6.5 m Stern Ramp 45 m 375 tons
Side Opening 6.5 m 6.5 m Side Ramp 25 m 22 tons

Capacity
Cargo Capacity 8500 ceu
No. of Decks 14
No. of Hoistable Decks 5

Type Cars Pickups High Heavy Total
Max. Car/PU Space 71475 m³ 0 m³ 0 m³ 71475 m³
Max. HH Space 28145 m³ 0 m³ 17740 m³ 45885 m³

This morning’s departure of Höegh Target , involved the port pilot cutter Camac also in attendence as the pair headed into Dublin Bay from where the giant newbuild was bound for Antwerp, Belgium.