UHL’s Newest Eco-Lifter Begins Maiden Voyage

United Heavy Lift’s latest addition to its fleet, the multipurpose heavy-lift vessel UHL Fresh, has begun its maiden voyage, carrying a batch of project cargo from Tianjin in China to Vaasa in Finland.

The newbuild, officially delivered to UHL on January 24, joins the Hamburg-headquartered operator as number 18 in its homogenous F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, and enters service less than a year after keel laying at the Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai.

The vessel is set to make her call at the port of discharge in Vaasa by the end of March. The technical manager of the vessel is Zeaborn Ship Management.

“United Heavy Lift is continuing on the path towards an ever-growing environmental awareness in the entire shipping business,” said Andreas Rolner, UHL’s managing director.

“As a service provider we form an important link in the transport chain of large companies, whose focus is shifting towards ESG-compliant solutions. Our average fleet age of approximately three years is a great advantage within the emissions trading systems ETS and directly benefits our customers: Compared to a 20-year-old MPP heavy-lifter, for example, the CO2 levy for a newbuild like the MV UHL Fresh is only half the price.”

The ship features high and low-pressure selective reduction catalysts to meet IMO Tier III requirements and boasts a carbon footprint 30-50 percent less compared to existing heavy-lift vessels in the market. The ship is also designed to run on biodiesel, making the operation of its main engine carbon neutral.

Its two cranes boast a combined lifting capacity of 900 tons.

Number 19 in the Eco-Lifter series, MV UHL Fable, is slated for delivery later this year.


United Heavy Lift, part of United Shipping Group, will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Europe 2024, taking place on 21-23 May at Rotterdam Ahoy. Reserve your tickets here.

TOP PHOTO: UHL FRESH in port of Shanghai during christening ceremony. CREDIT: UHL