With the arrival of ‘M/V AAL LIMASSOL’ in Cuxhaven, the first Super B-Class vessel in AAL Shipping’s fleet has completed her highly successful maiden voyage to Europe – the perfect test of her cargo handling capabilities, including the ‘AAL ECO-DECK’ retractable deck extension system.

Premium project heavy lift carrier AAL Shipping’s 32,000 dwt Super B-Class vessel ‘AAL LIMASSOL’ has completed her maiden voyage to Europe, safely delivering over 89,000 freight tons of multipurpose cargo on a single sailing. This is not only a record cargo intake for the carrier, but a massive step forward for project owners needing to move their time-sensitive and valuable cargoes safely and efficiently.

“The delivery and maiden voyage of the AAL Limassol has been a highlight of the year for AAL,” said Christophe Grammare, Managing Director at AAL Shipping. “We were confident about the design of the Super B-Class and its capability and cargo intake. The completion of the first maiden voyage of these third generation newbuildings demonstrates that that confidence was well placed. The Super B-Class vessels are everything we have been hoping for and more. The ‘AAL Hamburg’ is now also in service, and the ‘AAL Houston’ will shortly follow – with another five of these vessels to also join the roster – further reinforcing our fleet of highly capable multipurpose heavy lift tonnage.”

The first vessel in the Super B-Class fleet, the AAL Limassol, was delivered to AAL Shipping at a formal naming ceremony at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China, on Friday 26th April. Shortly thereafter she began her maiden voyage from Asia to Europe, for which a wide variety of heavy lift and project cargo had been booked.

In China, a dismantled crane, transformers, modules, trucks, rotor houses as well as two 135 m-long barges, which weighed 1,650 tonnes and 1,425 tonnes, were loaded onboard. Her last call in Asia saw the vessel stop at the Indian port of Tuticorin. Here, the ‘AAL ECO-DECK’ was called into action to facilitate the loading of 15 onshore wind turbine blades, weighing 30.6 tonnes each. This cargo combination meant AAL Limassol’s maiden voyage accommodated 89,000 freight tons of cargo in total.

Once the cargoes were secured, AAL Limassol departed Tuticorin on course for Europe, transiting around the Cape of Good Hope and the English Channel to Klaipeda – her first European port of call – to discharge the wind turbine blades. AAL Limassol then continued her journey to deliver the remaining heavy cargoes in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Cuxhaven.

The AAL ECO-DECK is a revolutionary deck extension system that will be fitted on all 8 Super B-Class vessels joining the AAL fleet. It increases the clear weather deck space to over 5,000 sq m, using the vessel’s triple deck panels. With the deck extended, AAL Limassol was able to stow the 80.5 m-long wind blades alongside the sizeable barges and other cargoes already loaded onboard. They were positioned into place using the ship’s own heavy lift cranes that are capable of lifting a combined 700 tonnes.

Valentin Gherciu, Head of Operations at AAL Shipping, said: “The maiden voyage of the AAL Limassol is the perfect example of the flexibility and functionality of the Super B-Class vessel design and its ability to accommodate a large and varied cargo intake. Compared to our A-Class vessels, which have a similar deadweight and underdeck volume, the Super B-Class fleet can handle more cargo as there are no restrictions with regard to the line of visibility.

“The highest volume carried on our A-Class fleet to date has been approximately 64,000 freight tons. AAL Limassol’s maiden voyage already set a record of more than 89,000 freight tons – roughly 40 percent more cargo volume in a single voyage – demonstrating what we can now offer to our worldwide project customers.”

Grammare added: “The voyage has been an absolute success. The vessel’s configuration provides opportunities for us to not only enhance our offering to project cargo shippers around the world but also tap into new markets – like river barges on the AAL Limassol, or the burgeoning offshore segment and other major project types coming online.”