Cyprus-based Schoeller Holdings, parent of AAL Shipping, has place orders for two additional 32,000 dwt heavylift multi-purpose vessels with Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
The new orders have identical dimensions to six Super-B class vessels now being delivered by the same yard but it is unclear whether the latest pair is destined for the global semi-liner and heavylift operations of AAL.
The first of the original order, AAL Limassol, was floated out of the building dock late last year and delivered ahead of schedule. It was officially named this week during its maiden voyage on AAL’s Asia-Europe route. The other ships are named AAL Houston, AAL Dammam, AAL Dubai, AAL Antwerp and AAL Hamburg.
The Super-Bs are 179.9 x 30 metres with a draft of 15.5 metres and are equipped with 3 x 350-tonne capacity cranes that can be combine to lift 700 tonnes.as well as have three heavy cranes of 350 tons, which can reach 700 tons in tandem. Two large box-shaped cargo holds are optimised for drybulk, featuring adjustable pontoon triple decks and no centre line bulkhead.
Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding has built a large number of vessels for Schoeller including 1700, 1900, 2700, and 2800 TEU, with two of the latter, Cape Spencer and Cape Skagen, joining CMA CGM’s PAD service between Australia and Europe in recent months. The Capes are owned by a joint venture between Schoeller’s Cyprus Green World and Denmark’s Navigare Capital, founded by Robert Maersk Uggla.
