PRESS RELEASE – AAL Shipping has demonstrated the lifting and cargo intake capability of its mega-size A-Class fleet with the transport of a heavy lift barge from Taicang, China, to Papeete, Tahiti. The barge weighed-in on hook at 410 tonnes and measured over 53 metres in length and 3,657 cubic metres and was loaded onto the 31,000 dwt AAL Dalian.

The ship also transported some 29,000 cubic metres of other cargo comprised of large and small parcels loaded in China, South Korea, and Japan to be discharged along the US West Coast and Gulf.

“The barge was designed by Alwena Shipping in France and arranged to be built at the Yangzhou Hairun Shipyard, China”, says Yahaya Sanusi, Deputy Head of Transport Engineering at AAL. “Our own planning for this heavy cargo operation started in September 2020 providing time to analyse technical details of the lift and make pre-preparation recommendations to the customer, like welding special padeyes onto the deck of the barge to facilitate safer lifting by the AAL Dalian’s port side cranes, without the need for lifting beams.”

The barge will eventually be deployed by owner, Travaux Maritimes de Polynesie, in the French Polynesia for civil works.

Parcelling

AAL has a sailing from Asia to America almost every month. “With our extensive liner experience, we can put together voyages for large and small parcels of practically any cargo type”, says Yahaya Sanusi, Deputy Head of Transport Engineering at AAL. “This is perfectly evidenced on this sailing, which accommodated steel pipes, containers, large tanks, cooler units and turbines, electrical equipment, a heavy lift dismantled crane, and of course Martin Bencher France SAS’ barge – and all at the same time. This type of parcelling means cargoes can be transported faster and with significant economies of scale for every shipper, big or small.”