A ship touted as the world’s largest and most environmentally-friendly car carrier will arrive in Auckland on Thursday.

On its maiden voyage, the Aniara, a car and truck carrying ship, would berth at Jellicoe Wharf at 7am.

Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen said the Aniara was awarded a green passport for its environmental technology.

It reduced CO2 emissions by 15 per cent per transported unit, setting a new standard within the international shipping industry, he said.

The Aniara was operated by roll-on roll-off (RoRo) operator Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL).

Madsen said the Aniara was painted in green and white, and like all WWL vessels was named after an opera.

As one of the largest ships ever to call on New Zealand, the mammoth car carrier was equipped to carry up to 8000 cars stowed over 13 decks, or a combination of 3486 cars and 466 heavy vehicles, industrial machinery, trucks, buses, tractors, boats and yachts, said Madsen.

The Aniara would leave at 11pm, after dropping off new cars from Europe and the United States, RoRo units including trucks, harvesters, tractors, CAT graders and excavators, as well as yachts, rail locomotives, pallets and crates of steel and other machinery.

NZPA