Höegh Autoliners inks five

Norwegian car carrier player Höegh Autoliners has signed a five-year contract for the transport of cars from the US to the Middle East.

The Oslo-based company did not reveal the name of the client but described it as a “major international car producer.” The financial details of the deal were not disclosed either.

“Serving our strategic customers and allocating capacity to them in our systems both ex. Atlantic and ex. Asia is our top priority. We have a long history in the US to the Middle East trade and it gives us confidence that customers see us as their trusted long-term carrier for their products in this corridor,” Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners, said.

Next year, the car carrier firm will start transporting cargo on the first of its Aurora class newbuilds which Höegh described as the largest and most carbon-efficient vessels in the industry.

Höegh last month exercised an option to construct an additional four new multi-fuel and net zero carbon-ready Aurora vessels.

The latest order brings the number of total vessels under the newbuilding program to 12 vessels, all of which will be built by China Merchants Heavy Industry.

The first of the dozen vessels is scheduled to be delivered in July 2024. If the company exercises all of its remaining options for the Aurora-class newbuilds the order count will rise to 20.