AAL Shipping, part of investment company Schoeller Holdings, has held a steel-cutting ceremony for teh fourth Super B-Class dual-fuel-ready heavy lift multipurpose vessel (MPV).
As disclosed, the steel-cutting ceremony, which marked the beginning of the construction of the ship, was held on 25 August. The 32,000 dwt will sail under the name AAL Antwerp.
The ceremony was followed by a keel-laying for the first vessel in this class, which happened on 28 August. The keel was laid at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard.
According to the company, AAL’s Super B-Class vessels break new ground in MPV ship design and the application of cargo handling technologies, featuring design elements that prioritise seafarer wellbeing while optimising cargo intake, security, and handling.
The mega-size ships will measure 179.9 metres in length, with a beam of 30 metres, a depth of 15.5 metres, and a low ballast draft of 6.5 metres, with each vessel capable of carrying up to 80,000 freight tonnes of breakbulk cargo. Each Super B-Class vessel can safely accommodate over 42,000 cbm of cargo big and small on a single sailing.
The ships are dual fuel and methanol ready and run on MAN main engines of 7,380 kW – supported by 2 x 1,700 kW and 1 x 1,065 kW auxiliary diesel generators.
Overall, the Super B-Class are expected to meet the highest possible automation and emission standards, as well as complying with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) regulations on emissions and sustainability for environmental protection.