AAL Shipping (AAL) is poised to welcome the AAL Hamburg, the second vessel in its Super B-Class newbuilding series, as it sets off on its inaugural journey to Europe. This follows a formal naming ceremony at the CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.
On July 12th, 2024, the AAL Hamburg was officially named after the historic German port city, a key hub for AAL’s European operations. The ceremony was attended by representatives from AAL Shipping, Columbia Shipmanagement, Schoeller Holdings, and CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipbuilding.
The AAL Hamburg, a 32,000 dwt multipurpose heavy lift vessel, boasts impressive capabilities. With three heavy lift port side cranes each capable of lifting 350 tonnes, and a maximum lift of 700 tonnes, it’s ready to handle a diverse range of cargo. A standout feature is the ‘AAL ECO-DECK,’ a retractable weather-deck system that enhances clear stowage space on deck to over 5,200 sq m. This innovation from the AAL Engineering Team will be standard across all Super B-Class vessels.
Following in the wake of her sister ship, AAL Limassol, the AAL Hamburg will serve key routes from Asia to Europe, America, and Australia. On her maiden voyage, the vessel will transport a mix of project cargo, including ducts and panels, boiler parts, transformers, and four barges weighing a total of approximately 5,600 tonnes, utilizing the ECO-DECK for efficient stowage.
At the naming ceremony, Jack Zhou, General Manager and Chief Representative of AAL China, was joined by AAL Hamburg’s godmother, Renate Poppe, AAL Australia’s Regional General Manager, and AAL Managing Director, Christophe Grammare.
Grammare expressed the significance of this milestone: “The delivery of AAL Hamburg, alongside the successful maiden voyage of AAL Limassol, realizes a long-term strategy to build a highly capable fleet that serves the diverse cargo types and industries our customers represent. With nearly half a century in the shipping industry, our parent company Schoeller Holdings has been dedicated to investing in a modern fleet for AAL, ensuring our new vessels are future-ready and environmentally compliant.”
The third-generation newbuildings from AAL will ultimately include eight Super B-Class vessels, thanks to the addition of two more vessels ordered in May. The latest in this series, AAL Newcastle and AAL Mumbai, will feature an increased maximum heavy lift capability of 800 tonnes. The remaining vessels in the series are expected to be delivered by 2026.
Grammare highlighted the fleet’s potential: “AAL Limassol’s maiden voyage, carrying a varied load of nearly 90,000 freight tons including barges, modules, cranes, and wind turbines, showcased the new level of capability our Super B-Class fleet offers. AAL Hamburg’s maiden voyage further reinforces this, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming the remaining vessels in the series over the next two years.”
