Alongside the firm order, Höegh Autoliners secured an option to build four further vessels on the same terms, exercisable within six months, plus slot reservations for another four ships, with notice due by 31 December 2027. Together, the deals could take the class to as many as 26 vessels. The order value was not disclosed.

CEO Andreas Enger said the Aurora class has "demonstrated very strong earnings potential, carbon performance, cargo flexibility and future-proof conversion capability," strengthening the company's position in the Asian market and giving it flexibility to renew its fleet.

The Aurora class has been in service since 2024, when the lead ship, HÖEGH AURORA, was delivered by CMHI Jiangsu. The vessels measure 199.92 metres in length with a beam of 37.62 metres, around 84,000 GT and roughly 25,560 tonnes deadweight, each rated to carry up to 9,100 cars. They run on dual-fuel LNG main engines with methanol- and ammonia-ready notation, giving a service speed of 18 knots — part of a design Höegh says cuts carbon emissions by up to 58% versus a conventional RoRo car carrier.

The class was engineered by Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin, which has held the design and engineering contract for the Aurora series since it was first signed with Höegh Autoliners.

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