AAL to Take Delivery of Second Super B-Class Vessel

Breakbulk carrier AAL Shipping is set to take delivery of the second in its series of eight new “Super B-Class” vessels.

Following a formal naming ceremony at the CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China, the AAL Hamburg has begun preparations for its maiden voyage to Europe carrying a mix of project cargo including ducts and panels, boiler parts, transformers and four barges weighing a combined 5,600 tons.

The 32,000 DWT, dual-fuel vessel is equipped with three portside 350-ton cranes, with tandem lifting giving it a maximum lifting capacity of 700 tons and an outreach of 35.7 meters. A retractable weather-deck system dubbed the Eco-Deck will be fitted on all Super B-Class vessels to increase clear stowage space on deck to more than 5,200 square meters.

The first in the series, AAL Limassol, was launched in late-December and has already begun trading on key routes from Asia to Europe, Americas and Australia. The remaining vessels in the series are slated for delivery between now and 2026.

“The delivery of AAL Hamburg, as well as the success of AAL Limassol’s record-setting maiden voyage, is the realization of a long-term strategy initiated several years ago to have a highly capable fleet suited to serve the variety of cargo types and industries that our customers represent,” said Christophe Grammare, managing director of AAL Shipping.

“We have seen from AAL Limassol’s voyage – with a hugely varied cargo load of nearly 90,000 freight tons including barges, modules, cranes and wind turbines – that the Super B-Class fleet is already realizing a new level of capability for AAL. AAL Hamburg’s maiden voyage is further reinforcing that sentiment, and we are looking forward to welcoming the remaining vessels in the series over the next two years.”


We caught up with Grammare at Breakbulk Middle East in Dubai to find out more about the Super B-Class series and how the company is futureproofing its fleet for the global energy transition: