AAL Shipping has officially named and unveiled its latest Super B-Class vessel, AAL Newcastle, at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, marking a major step in its long-term fleet expansion strategy.
The naming ceremony also saw the announcement of two additional Super B-Class vessels—AAL Tianjin and AAL Miami—which are scheduled to join the fleet in early 2028, bringing the total number of ships in the class to ten.
Speaking at the event, Kyriacos Panayides highlighted that the new vessels reflect the company’s focus on innovation and customer-centric design. He emphasized that the Super B-Class ships are already delivering industry-first operations, supported by AAL’s engineering and operational expertise.
Designed specifically for heavy lift and complex project cargo, AAL Newcastle and its sister vessel AAL Mumbai—expected in June 2026—feature significant technical upgrades. These include an enhanced crane capacity of 400 tonnes per unit, up from 350 tonnes, enabling a combined lifting capacity of 800 tonnes.
According to Yahaya Sanusi, the increased lifting capability is tailored to evolving cargo demands, particularly in the offshore renewable energy sector. The improvements will allow longer and heavier cargo components to be handled in single lifts, boosting operational efficiency.
Further enhancements include a longer 26-metre lifting beam, improved hook outreach, and optimized deck configurations, all aimed at increasing cargo flexibility and speeding up loading and discharge operations.
The development underscores AAL Shipping’s continued investment in next-generation vessels to meet the growing demands of global project cargo logistics.
