SAL christens third Orca vessel as Patricia expands heavy lift capacity

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SAL Heavy Lift has formally christened MV Patricia at Liebherr’s maritime crane production facility in Rostock, Germany, marking the latest fleet milestone for the carrier as its third Orca Class heavy lift vessel enters full commercial service.

The naming ceremony took place on August 31, with Patricia Rüf, a member of the administrative board of Liebherr International AG, serving as godmother. The choice reflects the longstanding relationship between SAL and Liebherr, which supplies the vessel’s heavy lift cranes and has also worked with the shipping company as a customer.

Patricia had already entered service before the ceremony. SAL took delivery of the vessel in June 2026, making it the third Orca Class ship to join the fleet after Elise and Frida.

The Orca Class is designed around the growing dimensions and weights of project cargo, particularly equipment for offshore wind and other energy developments.

Patricia measures about 150 metres in length and has a deadweight capacity of around 14,600 tonnes. Its cargo hold provides approximately 23,600 cubic metres of capacity, while available deck space totals about 3,330 square metres.

Cargo handling is centred on two fully electric Liebherr LS 800 E cranes, each rated at 800 tonnes. Working in tandem, the cranes can handle loads of up to 1,600 tonnes, giving the vessel the ability to load and discharge substantial project cargo without depending on shore based lifting infrastructure.

The vessel also incorporates hybrid propulsion technology and is designed for future methanol use. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport said it provided about €3.2 million in funding toward Patricia’s propulsion system.

Unlike sister vessels Elise and Frida, which entered longer term charter arrangements after delivery, Patricia was initially placed under SAL’s own commercial operation.

Its first assignment involved wind energy equipment for Vestas, with cargo loaded at Phu My in Vietnam and Lvsi near Nantong in China for delivery to Eemshaven in the Netherlands and Raahe in Finland.

That trade illustrates the market the Orca programme is targeting. Longer and heavier renewable energy components are increasing the pressure on vessel deck space, lifting height and crane capacity, while cargo owners increasingly need ships capable of handling equipment at ports where suitable shore cranes may not be available.

SAL’s Orca programme comprises five vessels, with Patricia following Elise and Frida into the fleet and Carlotta and Vera completing the planned series.