Singapore-headquartered heavy-lift specialist, AAL Shipping, has seen the first steel for its Super B Class multipurpose vessel, the AAL Limassol at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Gunangzhou, China. It is the first of six new heavy lift multipurpose vessels with 32,000 dwt in AAL Shipping’s newbuilding program. 

Representing AAL at the traditional steel cutting ceremony was GM of AAL China, Jack Zhou and representing sister company, Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM), was Project Manager Rangel Vassilev, the company said in a brief post to its social media.

The vessel will be christened with the name AAL Limassol, in tribute to the town where AAL’s story first began in 1995.

The Super B Class

The design of these vessels was a collaboration between AAL’s engineering and commercial teams working alongside sister company, Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM). The vessels will feature three 350-ton cranes and a long deck of 150 metres.

Under deck there will be two box-shaped cargo holds, one 68 x 25 metres, and the other 38 x 25 metres and with a height of 15.6 metres. They also feature adjustable pontoon triple deck capabilities as required, to optimise cargo intake. With no centre line bulkhead, the holds are designed to accommodate dry bulk commodities and optimised for stowage of dangerous IMO cargoes.

Speaking to Project Cargo Journal in 2022, Felix Schoeller, commercial director at AAL shipping, stressed the newbuilds are catered towards square metres. Each vessel will be able to deliver more than 60,000 freight tonnes (FRT) of cargo on a single sailing and can accommodate any type of cargo, big or small.

AAL focusing on flexibility

With the Super B Class newbuilds, AAL Shipping is focusing on delivering flexibility for its project cargo and breakbulk clients.

The Super B-Class will be dual fuel and methanol ready and run-on MAN main engines, supported by auxiliary diesel generators. The vessels will be NOx Tier III compatible with HPSCR, EEDI phase 3 compliancy, featuring a projected service speed of 14.5 knots.

Following Limassol, the remaining vessels of the Super B-Class will be named after major breakbulk ports: AAL Antwerp, AAL Hamburg, AAL Houston, AAL Dubai and AAL Dammam.