AAL Shipping has taken delivery of its third Super B-class vessel, AAL Houston.
The 32,000 dwt dual-fuel multipurpose heavy lift vessel is now preparing for its maiden voyage. Named after AAL Shipping’s operational hub for the Americas, the formal naming ceremony took place at the CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China, on September 12. The event was attended by representatives of AAL Shipping, Columbia Shipmanagement and selected guests.
The design of AAL Houston has been optimised to support the future needs of the industrial project, heavy lift sector. It can transport up to 90,000 freight tons of project and breakbulk cargo.
Kyriacos Panayides, ceo at AAL Shipping, said: “There is always a dilemma during newbuilding projects – satisfying the demands of your market and customers today, but crucially anticipating the requirements of tomorrow. We are at a crossroads of environmental change and a rapidly developing project landscape. Demands upon our fleet have never been higher – so we needed to raise the bar with these heavy lift vessels and the results are already positive, with the maiden voyages of the AAL Limassol and AAL Hamburg breaking cargo records.”
Discussing the long-standing relationship with CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard, Schoeller Holding’s founder and chairman, Heinrich Schoeller, explained: “Our first-generation vessels were built in 2002. After our second generation of vessels from 2010 to 2014, we have returned with the improved, new version, the Super B-class. The culmination of all that experience – from the shipyard, SDARI, AAL, CSM and Schoeller Holdings – has gone into these latest ships. The Super B-class is a completely new type of vessel, and has been painstakingly designed to meet the demands of the future.”
The remaining five vessels in the Super B-class series will be delivered between now and 2026, including AAL Newcastle and AAL Mumbai that have an increased maximum heavy lift capability of 800 tonnes.
