COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers officially opened the Xiaomo–Australia Ro‑Ro route on July 28, 2025, with the inaugural voyage of the newly built LNG‑powered car carrier M.V. GAN JIANG KOU, according to the company's release.
The vessel departed from Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen carrying 1,165 BYD new energy vehicles.
The service will operate monthly, connecting five major Australian ports: Brisbane, Kembla, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.
Since early 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers, through its joint venture Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping Co., Ltd., has ordered 24 LNG dual‑fuel RoRo vessels with capacities between 7,000 and 8,600 CEU. The LIAO HE KOU and MIN JIANG KOU vessels (each 7,500 CEU) performed inaugural voyages in July 2024. The vessel fleet is being phased in through 2026 and aims to support expanded service routes including Europe, South America, Mexico and Australia.
COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers is a specialized shipping subsidiary under COSCO SHIPPING, structured as a corporate entity focusing on roll‑on/roll‑off (Ro‑Ro) vessel operations. It operates a fleet of large-scale car carriers tailored to transport automobiles and trucks, including LNG dual‑fuel vessels.
Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping Co., Ltd. is a joint‑venture company formed by COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers, Shanghai International Port Group Logistics and SAIC Anji Logistics. It is the entity placing orders for LNG dual‑fuel pure car and truck carriers and managing their deployment across routes.