Suardiaz Group has announced that its car carrier RS Atlantico has departed China for Europe. The 5,500-car pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) is the first vessel of a new dual-fuel type to join the fleet. A second vessel is due to join in mid-2027. The company announced the departure on September 29. RS Atlantico is expected to arrive in the final quarter of 2026.
Suardiaz said the vessel is approximately 190m long and 55,000 GT, and is designed to carry vehicles, machinery and high and heavy cargo. It said the ship will increase capacity available to its automotive customers on existing routes.
The vessel is powered by dual-fuel engines capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Suardiaz described LNG as a “transitional technology” for international maritime transportation. The company added that the RS Atlantico is the largest vessel in its history, and that it makes Suardiaz the first Spanish shipowner to have an LNG-powered vessel in the car carrier segment.
The vessel is part of a wider investment program. Suardiaz said it has invested more than €360m (US$405m) over the past six years in fleet renewal, international expansion, logistics infrastructure and capabilities for the industrial and energy sectors. It added that the program includes continued development of multimodal solutions combining maritime, road and rail transportation, forwarding, industrial logistics, port services and offshore projects.
“International logistics is undergoing a period of profound transformation, and the industry needs reliable partners capable of offering increasingly sophisticated solutions that are prepared to address new challenges,” said Juan Riva, CEO of Suardiaz Group. “Control over logistics chains is becoming a fundamental asset for the global economy.”
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