Multipurpose carrier AAL Shipping completed the intra-Asia delivery of a 255-ton (231.3-tonne) shiploader to the Philippines, as part of its wider Asia – Europe service.
The shiploader was delivered to Foremost Milling in Bataan aboard AAL Singapore, one of the carrier’s 700-tonne lift capacity A-class vessels. Stabilised by two counterweights, the gross lift tipped the scales at 312 tonnes.
“The shiploader presented several complex engineering challenges, particularly around the lifting operation,” said the global head of engineering at AAL Shipping, Nicola Pacifico. “To avoid any risk of structural damage, a vertical lift from the pad eyes was essential, while the operation also had to be carefully managed within tight height and clearance constraints caused by the nearby generator and access platform.”
With a discharge capacity of 10,000 tons (9,071.8 tonnes) per day, the shiploader will operate at the Mariveles Grain Corporation terminal, where it will play a key role in the terminal’s end-to-end grain handling system.
Andrew Mangan, chartering manager, AAL Australia, added: “As regional manufacturing continues to diversify and ports expand to accommodate larger and more complex components, AAL is uniquely positioned to deliver the accountability, EPC-grade engineering and operational reliability these projects demand.”
AAL Shipping said that the Intra-Asia trade corridor is now the world’s fastest growing regional trade segment, with intra-regional trade rising 43 percent over the past four decades and accounting for more than half of the region’s total trade. Southeast Asia is leading this transformation, shifting from labour-intensive industries toward advanced manufacturing in electronics, semiconductors and automative manufacturing.
This evolution is partly fuelled by China plus one sourcing strategies, with global companies diversifying their supply chains across multiple Asian markets to enhance resilience. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) manufacturing value has grown steadily since 2016, with intra-ASEAN trade rebounding 7 percentin 2024 to reach nearly USD3.56 trillion in combined imports and exports.
HLPFI reported earlier this month that AAL had delivered 192 battery energy storage systems (BESS) units from China to Australia.
