World's biggest car carrier to make first appearance in Southampton

The Hoegh Target will dock in the city’s port on September 8 as part of its maiden journey across the globe.

It is the biggest Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) on the planet and is capable of carrying 8,500 cars with a deck space of 71,400-metres (sq).

The carrier is 200-metres in length, 36-metres wide and has a deck space that is the size of ten football pitches.

The giant new vessel will tower over the docks, cranes and other vessels as it arrives in Southampton having already visited Tyne and Wear at the end of August.

Target is the first of six of the Post Panamax New Horizon vessels that Hoegh Autoliners will take delivery of over the next 18 months.

As well as offering huge new capacity to ship vehicles, the line says the design of the vessel will also minimise its impact on the environment.

Target and its five sister ships will all use cutting edge energy efficiency technology while also improving the hull to match its high cargo capacity with low fuel consumption.

It has been given the DNV-GL’s class notification of “clean” for its design.

And the firm says its new design will also allow it to perform well in heavy seas and winds while it travels across the planet.

The vessel started its maiden voyage in eastern Asia in early July and reached the UK on August 25.

After stopping in Southampton and other ports in Europe it will then sail back to eastern Asia via Africa and Oceania.

Hoegh’s head of capacity management, Steinar Løvdal, said: “The launch of Höegh Target is a milestone in the company’s history.

“This is the first Post Panamax PCTC that we take delivery of and the New Horizon design truly represent state of the art engineering.

“In Höegh Autoliners, we have a deeply held belief in the necessity of taking responsibility for the environment in which we operate.

“It is with great pride that we today name a vessel that is estimated to emit 50 per cent less CO2 per car transported than a standard car carrier.”