CY, BigLift Debut First BC-Class Vessel

By Simon West

CY Shipping and BigLift Shipping have carried out the naming ceremony for CY Frontier, the first of four BC-Class Heavy Transport Vessels, as the partners expand their fleet to meet growing demand for transporting large offshore, energy and industrial modules.

The 180-meter-long vessel, built by Jing Jiang Nanyang Shipbuilding, has a 25,000-tonne deadweight capacity and a 6,020-square-meter cargo deck, with roll-on, roll-off and skidding capabilities for stern and side loading.

The second vessel, BigLift Pioneer, is due for delivery later this year, with the remaining two scheduled to enter service over the following two years. The companies expect to operate a fleet of eight heavy transport vessels by mid-2028.

“The BC-Class represents the next step in the development of our heavy transport fleet,” said Johan Boer, managing director at BigLift Shipping. “By combining the proven capabilities of our existing vessels with increased cargo capacity, enhanced flexibility and improved operational efficiency, the BC-Class will enable us to support increasingly complex transport projects around the world.

“With the delivery of BigLift Pioneer later this year and the remaining BC-Class vessels entering service over the coming two years, BigLift Shipping and CY Shipping will operate a fleet of eight heavy transport vessels by mid-2028. This expanded fleet will further strengthen our engineered transport solutions and enable us to support our customers with even greater flexibility, capacity and reliability.”

BigLift Shipping is part of the Spliethoff Group.