AAL Names Latest Heavy Lift Ship
AAL Shipping (AAL) has named its latest Super B-Class heavy lift vessel, AAL Newcastle, at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.
The ceremony also served as the backdrop for the ordering of two further Super B-Class vessels. AAL Tianjin and AAL Miami, will join the fleet in early 2028, expanding the class to ten ships in total.
Purpose built for heavy lift and complex project cargo, the 32,000dwt AAL Newcastle and AAL Mumbai (due for delivery in June 2026), will debut a series of significant technical improvements that elevate lifting performance and cargo flexibility. Among the most notable advancements is an upgraded heavy-lift capability, increasing individual crane capacity from 350 to 400 tonnes.
In addition to the increased 400 tonne crane capacity, AAL has introduced further design refinements across the four new vessels to support faster cargo operations and optimize deck utilization. The vessels will feature a new 26 meter lifting beam, an upgrade from the 20 meter beams deployed on earlier vessels, enabling the handling of elongated structures with greater ease and precision. Additional enhancements to the main and auxiliary hooks, offer approximately one additional meter of outreach, expanding lifting envelopes and improving the handling of oversized project cargoes.
“As cargo requirements evolve, particularly in the offshore renewable energy sector, our fleet must evolve with them,” said Yahaya Sanusi, Deputy Head of AAL Engineering. “The vessel’s increased combined lifting capacity of 800 tonnes will open opportunities previously beyond the fleet’s reach; longer tower sections can now be safely single-lifted to accelerate loading and discharge operations. Every enhancement has been engineered around real operational challenges, ensuring we deliver the performance, safety and flexibility our customers expect.”
