On September 3, Wuhu Shipyard held a signing ceremony with German shipowner SAL Heavy Lift for a memorandum of understanding regarding five 14,600 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels. This order further solidifies Wuhu Shipyard’s leading position in the global multi-purpose heavy-lift vessel market segment.
The order for these five 14,600 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels continues the long-standing partnership between SAL Heavy Lift and Wuhu Shipyard. In 2022, the two parties signed a construction contract for an initial batch of 4+2 14,600 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, with one optional vessel to be added in 2023.
Wuhu Shipyard stated that three of the five 14,600 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels previously ordered by SAL Heavy Lift have been successfully delivered, and the vessels have demonstrated excellent reliability and economic efficiency since entering service. Building on the trust established through their previous collaboration, and even while vessels from the initial order were still under construction, SAL Heavy Lift placed an additional order for five more vessels of the same type, bringing the total number of vessels of this type in the partnership to 10.
This 14,600 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessel features a single cargo hold with industry-leading volume and opening dimensions among heavy-lift vessels of the same tonnage worldwide, enabling the open-top loading of oversized and over-dimensional cargo. Additionally, the vessel is equipped with two custom-built giant hydraulic clamshell cranes, with a combined lifting capacity of up to 1,600 tons. It is truly a maritime “giant” for deep-sea heavy-lift transport, precisely meeting the transportation needs of specialized cargo such as offshore wind power equipment and large engineering modules, and boasts outstanding market competitiveness.