AAL opens Trincomalee project cargo gateway with 64,000 FRT wind shipment

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AAL Shipping has made its first port call at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, delivering 64,000 freight tonnes of wind turbine components and adding a new destination to its project cargo network.

The cargo was transported from China to Sri Lanka across two sailings aboard the 19,000 dwt S Class multipurpose heavy lift vessels AAL Bangkok and AAL Nanjing. The shipments covered equipment for ten complete wind turbines destined for the 50 MW HayWind Mannar Wind Farm.

The operation gives project shippers another direct route into Sri Lanka as the country develops additional renewable energy infrastructure and demand grows for the movement of large and heavy components.

The two vessels carried towers, blades, nacelles, hubs and associated equipment for ten 5 MW turbines, each designed to reach a height of about 100 metres.

AAL said the complete movement amounted to 64,000 FRT. All ten turbines had been delivered by July 2026, ahead of the wind farm’s planned connection to Sri Lanka’s electricity grid in March 2027.

The cargo movement was secured through cooperation between AAL Middle East and the carrier’s representative in India.

For project logistics providers, the significance of the operation extends beyond the individual shipment. Wind projects generate large volumes of oversized cargo that can place considerable demands on port infrastructure, vessel lifting capacity and landside transport.

Direct calls can therefore reduce the number of cargo handling stages required between the manufacturing location and the project destination.

The first AAL call at Trincomalee also tested the port as a receiving point for a sizeable renewable energy cargo programme.

AAL said the two discharge operations were carried out despite difficult monsoon conditions. The carrier did not report any disruption to the delivery schedule resulting from the weather.

The operation illustrates how multipurpose vessels can be deployed beyond established project cargo gateways when sufficient cargo volume supports a direct call.

“Our maiden call to Trincomalee demonstrates AAL’s ability to deliver project cargoes directly to emerging destinations beyond our traditional trade routes,” Karim Smaili, General Manager Middle East at AAL Shipping, said.

Smaili said customers were increasingly looking for direct access to regional destinations as supply chains change, with the Sri Lankan shipment providing an example of that requirement.

The equipment is destined for the HayWind Mannar Wind Farm, which AAL described as Sri Lanka’s largest private investment in wind power to date.

The project will have 50 MW of installed capacity once its ten turbines are operating. Grid connection is planned for March 2027.

According to information supplied by AAL, the wind farm is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 186,000 metric tonnes annually once operational.

Sri Lanka has set a target of generating 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Meeting those targets would require further development of wind, solar and related electricity infrastructure, potentially creating additional demand for specialised ocean transport and heavy lift handling.

That requirement is particularly relevant to breakbulk carriers because renewable energy projects combine long components such as blades and tower sections with concentrated heavy units including nacelles and other generating equipment.

Vinay Agarwal, Commercial Representative India at AAL Shipping, said the Trincomalee operation demonstrated the carrier’s ability to serve both established and developing project cargo markets.

“Whether serving established project hubs or opening new cargo gateways, our focus remains on delivering reliable and efficient shipping solutions for complex cargoes,” Agarwal said.

AAL said it intends to continue expanding access to project destinations across Asia as investment in renewable energy and industrial infrastructure develops.

The Trincomalee shipments add Sri Lanka to the locations served by AAL’s project cargo operations and establish a direct heavy lift delivery option for future large infrastructure cargoes where vessel and port capabilities allow.