October 14 - Hamburg-headquartered HeavyLift@Sea has added a second vessel design to its portfolio, with the development and creation of the MPV 500 concept, based on the HLV 1600 design concept, which was introduced by the team at the start of this year.
The company is yet to obtain a first order for the HLV 1600 design but says that it has seen interest in both concepts.
A smaller but equally versatile heavy cargo carrier, the MPV 500 targets an intermediate market segment: shipping companies that specialise in smaller-scale heavy cargo loads or are just starting up in the heavy lift segment.
The vessel has a load-bearing capacity of 12,000 tonnes and an undivided cargo area, which is more than 80 m long and has a capacity of nearly 20,000 cu m. The cargo area can be split by an intermediate deck and the ship will also be able to sail with open hatches.
The plans for the ship incorporate two cranes, and customers can select an individual crane lift capacity from 125-250 tonnes; enabling the ship to undertake tandem lifts of up to 500 tonnes.
With a width of only 23.2 m, the MPV 500 can pass through the narrow locks of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
The basic design of the MPV 500 is available in three variations - Economy, Economy Extra and Ice Class - and can be individually configured based on customer needs.
