The construction of AAL Shipping’s Super B-class multipurpose vessels is progressing well, with a steel cutting ceremony for the fourth ship in the series.
The steel cutting ceremony for AAL Antwerp took place on August 25 and was shortly followed by the keel laying for the first vessel in the series, AAL Limassol. HLPFI readers will recall the steel cutting ceremony for that vessel took place earlier this year in March at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.
In total, AAL Shipping will take delivery of six newbuildings, placing the initial order for four of the vessels in late 2021 before increasing the order the following February.
Five of the vessels will be named after major breakbulk ports – AAL Antwerp, AAL Hamburg, AAL Houston, AAL Dubai and AAL Dammam – while AAL Limassol is named in tribute to the town where AAL’s story first began in 1995.
The vessels will measure 179.9 m in length, with a beam of 30 m, a depth of 15.5 m, and a low ballast draught of 6.5 m. Each vessel will be capable of carrying up to 80,000 freight tons of breakbulk cargo.
