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AAL starts work on supersized ships

[ March 2, 2023   //   ]

AAL has started construction of its  first ‘Super B-Class’ heavy lift multipurpose vessel, the AAL Limassol. The event was marked with a traditional steel cutting ceremony on 1 March at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, Guangzhou, China.

The AAL Limassol is the first in a fleet of six 32,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt) Super B-Class vessels on order, expected to start entering the water in the first quarter of 2024.

AAL says the vessels break new ground in MPV ship design and the application of superior cargo handling technologies, featuring design elements that prioritise seafarer wellbeing while optimising cargo intake, security, and handling.

The mega-size vessels will be 179.9 metres long, with a beam of 30 metres, a depth of 15.5 metres, and a low ballast draft of 6.5 metres, with each vessel capable of carrying up to 80,000 freight-tonnes of breakbulk cargo.

The weather deck provides 4,500 square metres of clear cargo loading space, with extendable pontoons along the starboard side of the vessel to expand on-deck stowage even further.

Three port-mounted heavy lift cranes support 350 tonnes each, with a tandem lifting capacity of 700-tonnes, and an outreach of 35.7 metres, enabling cargo loading to the fore and aft of the vessel to optimise stowage space and time.  

A forward-positioned bridge and accommodation block delivers unobscured sailing visibility with no restriction on cargo height.

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