Take a look at our finalists for the Ship Operator of the Year – Breakbulk Award, sponsored by Faymonville Group, and have your say by voting on the Heavy Lift Awards website.
Sponsored by Faymonville Group, this award recognises a ship operator that, while not dedicated solely to heavy lift or project cargo, has made a meaningful and consistent contribution to breakbulk transportation—particularly through container ships, ro-ro vessels, general cargo carriers, or smaller multipurpose tonnage.
Our expert judging panel has selected this year’s finalists – and now it’s your turn to have a say. Cast your vote on the Heavy Lift Awards website and help determine the winner of the 2025 title, with public votes weighted alongside the judges’ scores.
Our 2025 shortlist:
Bahri Line
A division of Saudi Arabia’s national shipping carrier, Bahri Line is a global leader in multipurpose ro-ro and breakbulk logistics. Its fleet includes six modern RoCon vessels (26,000 dwt each) equipped with tandem heavy-lift cranes (240 tonnes) and stern ramps rated up to 250 tonnes, enabling efficient handling of high and heavy cargo. In 2024/25, Bahri Line expanded its capabilities by adding two MPP vessels with tandem lifting capacity of up to 700 tonnes to better serve project cargo and niche markets. The Line has grown its service footprint beyond the traditional North America–Middle East corridor to include Europe, Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. With a fleet maintaining a CII ‘A’ rating, Bahri Line stands at the forefront of environmentally responsible shipping — combining scale, specialization, and sustainability.
CMA CGM
The CMA CGM Group is a global player in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, active in 177 countries with 160,000 employees and a fleet of over 650 vessels. Breakbulk and project cargo are part of its core expertise, including complex shipments such as turbines, transformers, yachts, and industrial components. CMA CGM’s dedicated Project Cargo Division combines technical know-how and global coordination to deliver safe, efficient, and tailor-made solutions—positioning the Group as a trusted long-term partner for large-scale industrial projects across key sectors worldwide.
G2 Ocean
Founded in 2017 by Gearbulk and Grieg Maritime Group, G2 Ocean is the world’s largest operator in the open-hatch and breakbulk segment, managing a core fleet of roughly 90 open-hatch vessels plus 30 chartered ships. It reported more than 43,000 voyage days in 2024, during which it successfully transported 27 million revenue tons of cargo and made over 3,500 port calls to nearly 60 countries. It is enhancing its fleet with 10 dual-fuel 82,300 dwt open hatch vessels that are fitted with two 75-tonne and two 125-tonne lift capacity cranes.
Grimaldi Group
The Grimaldi Group is a fully integrated multinational logistics company specialised in the operation of roll-on/roll-off vessels, car carriers and ferries.It stands out for its strong focus on environmental issues, which in recent years has resulted in important investments aimed at reducing harmful emissions. The Grimaldi Group is continuously investing in newbuildings, which will reduce the average age of its ships further still. 26 vessels are currently under construction, including seventeen 9,000 “Ammonia Ready” PCTCs designed to carry any type of rolling units as well as breakbulk cargo, and nine ro-pax ships equipped with engines capable of running on methanol, making them ready to achieve the “Net Zero Emission” goal.
Höegh Autoliners
Höegh Autoliners is a ro-ro shipping specialist with a fleet of approximately 38 vessels that also cater for breakbulk, high and heavy shipments and out-of-gauge units. It has been steadily overhauling its fleet with deliveries of its next-generation Aurora-class vessels, the first of which was delivered in 2024 and is arguably the world’s largest and most environmentally friendly car carrier ever built. The first Aurora-class vessels are running on LNG, biofuels and low-sulphur oil. From 2027, the aim is that the last four of the 12 Aurora-class vessels on order will run on green ammonia, reducing emissions by close to 100 percent.
Maersk
Headquartered in Copenhagen, Maersk operates around 900 vessels, accounting for over 20 percent of global teu capacity. Beyond its core container operations, Maersk has a dedicated project/special cargo division that handles oversized, heavy, and out-of-gauge shipments using open-top and flat-rack containers, floating and gantry cranes, and custom stowage planning. In recent years, Maersk has expanded its project handling capabilities significantly, successfully transporting complex loads such as a 350-tonne tugboat, 46 m crane arm, and a 17 m propeller. The 2023 acquisition of Martin Bencher strengthened Maersk’s presence in high-end industrial logistics. Maersk also continues decarbonising its fleet, with several dual-fuel methanol vessels entering service as part of its 2040 net-zero strategy.
MSC
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a global leader in transportation and logistics, privately owned and founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. With renewed focus, the shipping group has rapidly expanded its breakbulk and heavy-lift capabilities, exemplified by the transport of a 390-tonne hydraulic hammer from Rotterdam to Singapore, as well as the numerous breakbulk cargoes handled globally every day. With access to an integrated network of road, rail, air, and sea transport resources which stretches across the globe, the company prides itself on delivering global service with local knowledge. MSC’s shipping line sails on more than 300 trade routes, calling at 520 ports, and is targeting net zero decarbonization by 2050. For more information about its journey to net-zero please visit: www.msc.com/sustainability
Royal Wagenborg
Royal Wagenborg operates a modern fleet of roughly 150 vessels (1,700–23,000 dwt) and a specialist ro-ro liner service in the Baltic–Europe region. With 3,000 professionals and an extensive fleet on both land and sea, it delivers safe and sustainable logistic solutions. In the past year it introduced the next-generation EasyMax design and laid keel for six vessels; these general cargo vessels will be able to operate on bio-MGO and will be prepared for alternative fuels such as methanol, ammonia and LNG.
Varamar
Since its launch in 2009, Varamar has evolved into a leading ocean carrier for breakbulk and project cargo, delivering complex shipments to the world’s most demanding and remote markets. Its operations span breakbulk, containerised, and out-of-gauge transport, with a strong focus on engineered solutions and tailored execution. Over the past year, Varamar has managed critical shipments across five continents, serving sectors from renewable energy and infrastructure to manufacturing and petrochemicals. Varamar’s integration of the AI-powered platform ShipNext has driven smarter routing, lower emissions, and improved fleet efficiency, while maintaining a strong commitment to safety and reliability.
Vertom Group
The Netherlands-headquartered Vertom Group has a general cargo and multipurpose fleet of more than 100 vessels (650,00 dwt) ranging from 1,500-12,000 dwt. With a strong presence in the shortsea shipping market, it continues to enhance its capabilities including the addition of the first of 12 diesel-electric shortsea vessels ordered from Chowgule Shipyards in India. It also placed an order for four 10,700 dwt geared tweendeckers; scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028, each vessel will be equipped with two 80-tonne capacity electric cranes and have propulsion systems consisting of a main engine and two diesel-electric gensets.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen
Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a market leader in ro-ro shipping & vehicle logistics, operating 125 vessels servicing 15 trade routes to six continents, a global inland distribution network, 66 processing centres & seven marine terminals. For decades, Wallenius Wilhelmsen has supported breakbulk customers in numerous sectors. Its capabilities were demonstrated when it shipped a 275-tonne generator from Germany to Australia utilising its vessel’s 500-tonne capacity ramp. It has a large, diversified fleet of handling equipment including roll trailers, multipurpose bogies, Samson heavy-lift trailers, bolsters, blocks, beams and can handle breakbulk cargo up to: H: 6.1m W:12m, 400 tonnes in weight. Since 2020 Wallenius Wilhelmsen has reduced emissions through technical upgrades, operational improvements, & strategic fleet investments. A major milestone will be the introduction of methanol-capable Shaper-class vessels – designed for heavy & high cargo – ready to run on methanol from day one.
Cast your votes on the Heavy Lift Awards website. Voting closes on September 5, 2025, with the winners announced at the Heavy Lift Awards ceremony on October 22, 2025 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
