Global project heavy lift specialist AAL Shipping (AAL) is preparing to take delivery of its sixth 32,000-deadweight (DWT), 700 metric ton (MT) heavy lift Super B-Class vessel, the AAL Dammam.
Unveiled at a naming ceremony at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China, she is part of an eight-vessel newbuild fleet totaling 256,000 DWT and will immediately enter service with her maiden voyage, transporting offshore renewable energy cargo from China to the UK.
The methanol-ready and dual-fuel AAL Dammam was engineered to transport a vast array of multipurpose cargoes including heavy lift project components, breakbulk, and dry bulk all on a single voyage. The 41,500 cubic meter newbuild has a length of 179.9 meters and a breadth of 30 meters. She can accommodate over 100,000 freight tons of breakbulk and heavy lift cargo and is equipped with three 350 MT heavy lift cranes, combinable up to a 700 MT maximum. Two large, box-shaped cargo holds are optimized for dry bulk, featuring adjustable pontoon triple decks and no center-line bulkhead.
In 2026, AAL will take delivery of its final two Super B-Class vessels—the AAL Newcastle and AAL Mumbai—which will feature an increased maximum heavy lift capability of 800 MT.