Project heavy lift carrier, AAL Shipping (AAL), has continued its newbuild program with the keel laying for its 32,000 dwt heavy lift multipurpose vessel, AAL Hamburg. It is the second in a series of six third-generation heavy-lifters, the company calls the Super B class. 

The keel laying for the AAL Hamburg was held on October 27 at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Gunangzhou, China.

Available from 2024, these innovative third-generation heavy-lifters have been designed to be the most competent MPVs in the water, according to AAL.

The vessels can accommodate over 42,000 cbm of cargo, with three 350 mt heavy lift cranes – combinable to a 700 mt max. lift. They feature 3,880 square metres of clear weather deck space, with extendable pontoons on the starboard side, to expand cargo stowage space further. Below deck, two large box-shaped cargo holds are optimised for dry bulk and feature adjustable triple decks and no centre-line bulkhead. With the superstructure positioned forward, there is unobscured sailing visibility and no physical restriction on cargo height.

The vessels are also adapted to sail with open hatch covers, enabling extremely tall and over-dimensional units to be safely stowed in the hold space.

Earlier this year, Christophe Grammare, managing director at AAL, told Project Cargo Journal that the first vessel in the series, AAL Limassol, could be delivered ahead of time, due to good progress in construction.

The new vessels could also break the liner service mould and help the company allocate the newbuilds to large-scale projects, with demand very strong from the energy sector, which is what the newbuild fleet’s copious cargo intake was designed for.

Additionally, Grammare said that AAL plans to put the vessels into service and learn from them, understand what they bring to the table and then use the learnings to bring forward a new design – once the fleet is in need of renewal.