The year 2022 has been filled with exciting projects and interviews, but for the next couple of days, we will look into the articles that have got the most attention from our readers, quarter by quarter. Below, we will look into the articles that our readers found most interesting in the third quarter of the year.

SAL Heavy Lift and Jumbo place joint order for Orca Class heavy lift vessels

SAL Heavy Lift has placed an order for up to six new generation heavy lift vessels with Wuhu Shipyard in China. SAL Heavy Lift is partnering Jumbo Shipping in this newbuilding program with the name of Orca Class which includes four firm orders and option for two additional ships.

Scheduled for delivery starting in mid-year 2024, the first two ships will be exclusively involved in the transportation of offshore wind turbine components in a long-term commitment with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Two additional sister vessels will enter the premium heavy lift shipping market to serve the clients of the Jumbo-SAL-Alliance in the first half of 2025.

TenneT’s transformer falls over during transport in Friesland

A 220 kV transformer weighing 250 tons fell over during transport to the Louwsmeer high-voltage substation in Tytsjerk, Friesland. The Transmission Service Operator (TSO) TenneT noted that the cause of the accident is still unknown.

The operator added that the transformer had previously been delivered on a vessel from Schiedam to a temporary loading quay. The the last kilometre, the transformer was loaded onto a specially equipped truck for transport to the destination.

BigLift Baffin heads for New Jersey with megamax STS container cranes

Last week, the BigLift Baffin left the Doyle Shipping Group (DSG) Cork Dockyard in Cork Harbour, loaded with three immense Liebherr Group cranes, the biggest ever single objects engineered in Ireland. The ship and 6.000-tonne cranes are now close to their destination in New Jersey.

The BigLift Baffin Vessel is a Heavy load carrier sailing under the Dutch flag. With a length of 173 metres and a width of 42 metres, it has a gross tonnage of 23.134 tonnes. Additionally, it has a depth of 12 metres and a draught of 6.5 metres. The ship, one of only two in its class, has a capacity of up to about 16.000 tonnes. The cargo deck has an area of 5.250 square metres, and its strength is of 20 tonnes per square metre.

Spliethoff’s Damgracht collides with Croatian-flagged bulker in Sabine Pass

Spliethoff’s D-Type general cargo vessel Damgracht collided with the Croatian-flagged AP Revelin at Sabine Pass in the United States. The U.S. Coast Guard received a report of the incident between the two vessels on August 21. Since then, both vessels were anchored for inspection.

In its statement, AP Revelin owner, Atlantska Plovidba noted that the vessel sustained significant material damage, luckily without injuries to the crew nor any harm to the environment.

The company noted that a comprehensive inspection and repairs will have to be done to the vessel which will see the vessel sidelined for a significant amount of time.

Grimaldi launches a new project cargo service in the Port of Vigo

The shipping company Grimaldi, represented in Vigo and Bilbao by BERGÉ, has opened a new project cargo service that will connect the Galician port with Turkey and other ports in the western Mediterranean, the east coast of Latin America and West Africa, the latter two via Valencia.

This regular line service will be provided on a fortnightly basis from the Termicar terminal in the Port of Vigo. Despite being a type of car-carrier line dedicated to vehicle traffic, the capacity and versatility of Grimaldi’s facilities and fleet means that this type of vessel is prepared for the transport of all types of cargo, whether oversized or extra-heavy on MAFI roll trailers or large single pieces. The vessels for this service have ramps of up to 100 tonnes capacity and MAFI trailers of 30, 40, 50, 60 and even 80 feet.