Here she comes! BYD ZHENGZHOU making steady progress for Australian arrival

The arrival of the BYD Zhengzhou with almost 5,000 new energy vehicles for waiting Australian customers is just one week away.

The purpose-built, BYD-owned, roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessel is making strong progress across the Pacific Ocean on its maiden Australian voyage, with arrival into Melbourne expected on June 02 before continuing on to Sydney and Brisbane along the eastern seaboard.
The special shipment is part of BYD’s commitment to quickly fill local customer orders for efficient and affordable new energy vehicles, especially for those feeling the pinch with cost-of-living pressures.

The BYD Zhengzhou – which measures 200 meters in length and 38 meters in width with a 9.9 metre draught – has now passed the Pacific Islands and is it heads south-east at a rate of 16.0 knots.

It is one of eight RORO vehicle freight vessels owned and operated by BYD, each named after one of the company’s manufacturing base cities. Simply, RORO means vehicles drive on and off and no cranes or containers are needed. Loading is fast and vehicles are lined up neatly and close together for optimum use of space.

The BYD Zhengzhou is powered by low-carbon Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), which has operational and environmental advantages over traditional marine fuels such as marine diesel.

By comparison, LNG has approximately 20 per cent lower CO₂ emissions with near-elimination of harmful particulate matter such as sulphur oxides (SO_X).

In his log, BYD Zhengzhou captain Zhao Taotao said conditions have so far been smooth and the vessel is making good time. He noted that the ship has enjoyed the company of schools of leaping fish on occasions, together with large flocks of seabirds.

He said work on board is routine and often rigorous, with regular manual checking of the BYD and DENZA vehicles across the five levels to ensure they remain securely fastened. The entire cargo hold is set at a constant temperature and humidity to protect the vehicles from moisture.

“There is strong camaraderie among the crew,” said the captain, who has 17 years of ocean-going navigation experience. “We work together, share meals together, and then relax and enjoy each other’s company. We have Chinese and international crew and it is nice to have interesting casual conversation.”

The nearly 10,000-kilometre journey will culminate in a special ceremony at the Port of Melbourne with hundreds of BYD customers, guests, staff, dignitaries, VIPs and media in attendance to watch the vehicles unload.