Increase to 8 ships! AAL subscribes to a multi-purpose heavy lift vessel in Huangpu Wenchong

AAL Shipping, a Singaporean subsidiary of SCHOELLER GROUP in Cyprus, has returned to Whampoa Wenchong and has ordered two additional 32000 deadweight ton ultra large multi-purpose cranes.

The latest two Super B-class multi-purpose ships will be named "AAL Newcastle" and "AAL Mumbai" respectively, and will be delivered before 2026. The maximum lifting capacity of each ship will be increased to 800 tons, while the previous 6 ships of the same type had a maximum lifting capacity of 700 tons per ship.

It is understood that, AAL initially announced the launch of its third-generation multi-purpose ship construction plan in November 2021, and signed a contract with Huangpu Wenchong in December of the same year for the construction of 4+2 Super B-class multi-purpose ships. At the beginning of 2022, two alternative orders were confirmed to take effect.

The latest two orders were officially signed on April 26th, when Huangpu Wenchong held a naming ceremony for AAL's first multi-purpose ship, "AAL LIMASSOL" (H2469). With the signing of the latest order, The number of Super B-class multi-purpose ships ordered by AAL in Huangpu Wenchong will increase to 8. These ships will bring the total carrying capacity of AAL's fleet to 831800 deadweight tons.

AAL General Manager Christophe Grammare said, "Looking ahead, the trend in industrial project freight is to manufacture larger and more complex components, and we must be at the forefront of this development trend. The unique design of these new ships, cargo handling technology, and heavy lifting capacity (the maximum lifting capacity of two new ships has been increased to 800 tons) are combined to enable them to load larger and heavier cargo in the future, which may not have been possible for us to load before.".

It is understood that, The Super B-class multi-purpose vessel was designed by AAL's engineering and commercial team in collaboration with its affiliated company Columbia Shipmanagement. This will become the third generation multi-purpose vessel (MPP) in the AAL fleet, with innovative design, heavy lifting equipment, and optimized MPP cargo receiving and processing capabilities. The new ship will comply with IMO's upcoming carbon emission regulations and will also adopt other new technologies to meet AAL's digitalization and sustainable development goals.

This series of ships will have the ability to safely accommodate cargo weighing over 60000 freight tons (FRT) in one voyage. The large deck space of 146x 26 meters will be equipped with unique retractable pontoons, which can further increase loading space and allow certain cargo to be safely suspended on the deck when needed, such as wind turbine blades.

Due to the bridge and living area located in front of the ship, crew members will have clear navigation visibility and no physical restrictions on the height of the cargo. In addition, these ships can also sail with open hatch covers, allowing for safe storage of extremely high and oversized cargo. The length of the ship is close to 180 meters, with a minimum draft of 6.5 meters, making it suitable for docking in smaller and more remote ports, making it very suitable for use in specialized large-scale projects.

Three heavy cranes were placed along the port side of the ship, each lifting 350 tons, with a combined maximum lifting capacity of 700 tons. The series lifting can be completed by the combination of cranes 1 and 2, as well as the combination of cranes 2 and 3. This allows cargo to be loaded at the front and rear of the ship, optimizing deck space and capacity, saving time and effort. The design extension range of the crane can reach 35.7 meters, with higher lifting capacity and more flexibility and choices when loading large and/or heavy equipment.

There will be two box shaped cargo holds under the deck, one measuring 68 x 25 meters and the other 38 x 25 meters, with a height of 15.6 meters. Due to the lack of centerline partitions, the design of the cargo hold can perfectly accommodate dry bulk cargo and has been optimized for loading dangerous IMO cargo.

This type of ship will be equipped with a 7380kW dual fuel methanol ready MAN engine, supported by 2x1700kW and 1x1065kW auxiliary diesel generators. The vessel will comply with HPSCR EEDI Phase III and NOx Tier III standards, with an expected service speed of 14.5 knots. Modern ballast water treatment systems and innovative hull coatings will also be installed on board, providing higher fuel efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Overall, this type of ship can meet the highest automation and emission standards, and comply with IMO regulations on emissions and environmental sustainability.