AAL Shipping has taken delivery of the first Super B-class vessel AAL Limassol, with a naming ceremony taking place on April 26 in Guangzhou, China.
The 32,000 dwt heavy lift multipurpose vessel is the first vessel in an order of six newbuildings, placing the initial order for four of the vessels in late 2021 before increasing the order the following February.
Each vessel will feature three 350-tonne lifting capacity cranes that enable heavy cargoes to be loaded and stowed across the ship’s entire deck length. Maximum lift capacity is rated at 700 tonnes.
The Super B-class will be able to accommodate 60,000 freight tons (FRT) of cargo on a single sailing. A clear weather deck space of 146 m x 26 m will feature unique extendable pontoons that can increase stowage space even further. Under deck there will be two box-shaped cargo holds, one measuring 68 m x 25 m, and the other 38 m x 25 m.
Yahaya Sanusi, deputy head of AAL Shipping’s transport engineering department, added: “With their two huge cargo holds and three 350-tonne cranes, the new vessels are designed to accommodate even larger and taller cargoes than those we can currently handle. The forward positioning of the bridge and superstructure allows us to transport the very tallest of cargoes without compromising visibility. If necessary, we can even stow and transport super tall cargoes in the holds with the hatch covers open.
“Compared to similar vessels in the water, these new vessels have a very high cargo intake volume and are extremely flexible. This fulfils the needs of our clients, who can reduce logistic costs by limiting the number of voyages when transporting their large project cargoes. For example, the wind sector is producing far bigger nacelles and towers than ever before. Such turbines match perfectly well with the Super B-Class design concept, as well as those cargoes for other industry sectors such as infrastructure, oil and gas, and mining – items like rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs), port cranes, pipe racks / modules, and oversized mining components.”
AAL Limassol’s first voyage from China to Europe will take place in May, handling a full weather deck of project cargo, including two 135 m-long barges, weighing 1,650 tonnes, and 15 wind turbine blades measuring 80.5 m long.
