The programme has been revealed for the inaugural Project Cargo Conference, which is being held on November 3, 2023 alongside the transport logistic & air cargo (tlac) Southeast Asia exhibition in Singapore. Registration for the event is free, and also gains you access to the three-day tlac Southeast Asia exhibition.

The 31,000dwt ‘mega-size’ heavy lift vessel, ‘AAL Kobe’, transporting two heavy lift single-point mooring (SPM) Buoys along AAL Shipping’s (AAL) ‘Europe – Middle East / India – Asia Monthly Liner Service’ (EUMEIA), from Jebel Ali in Dubai to offshore anchorage in the Persian Gulf.

Since establishing its AAL Middle East representative office in Dubai in early 2015, AAL Shipping’s (AAL) commercial presence in the region has grown to the point that the carrier is operating at least one scheduled multipurpose heavy lift cargo sailing through the region each month (via its Europe, Middle East / India, Asia Liner Service), with additional tramp sailings in support of customer demand. Connecting the Middle East with these markets and developing trades with Southeast Asia, the US and Africa, AAL is expanding its local capabilities with the promotion of Karim Smaili to General Manager – Middle East and the appointment of a Cargo Superintendent, Denis Elmanov, to oversee its local project cargo operations.

Karim Smaili, General Manager of AAL Middle East commented, ‘The Middle East has witnessed significant economic diversification and expansion of its industrial trade relations and capabilities over the past few years. The region is not only importing project cargo to meet local need but also exporting steel and locally fabricated project heavy lift components. We are also seeing trade lanes expand and develop with Southeast Asia, Africa and the US strengthening ties on the back of widespread international reengagement with the region and geo-political uncertainty surrounding other areas of the world. With our well-established trade routes connecting all these regions, we can provide the global ocean transport solutions needed.’

He added, ‘AAL’s growth within this highly competitive market can be attributed to the regularity of our sailings, dependability of service and flexibility of our cargo operations – especially with the complex cargoes we often carry and the challenges of the market and in-port operations before and during the pandemic. As well as already operating monthly liner sailings on the busy trade From Europe to Asia via the Middle East and India, we are also looking at westbound sailings from Asia to the Mediterranean and Continent calling India and the Persian Gulf en route.

AAL’s Managing Director, Christophe Grammare, concluded, ‘A strong and well-established local presence is important to helping us deliver the service standards that the market has come to expect from AAL – especially considering that the economic outlook for the Middle East and its multipurpose cargo trade is very positive.

‘The region will continue to be a beneficiary of inward investment from companies looking for stability in energy costs and availability – so infrastructure is planned to support that development. There are also power generation, oil and gas and other industrial projects coming into focus and, with Cop28 taking centre stage in the UAE (November 2023), there will be more attention paid to the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure and sustainability projects like smart cities. These developments, along with ongoing social changes are indicative of reforms throughout the Middle East to expand and diversify its economy and international trade and AAL is incredibly happy to be on the frontline to support that.’

AAL’s scheduled monthly ‘Asia to Australia West Coast Liner Service’ (AUWC) recently provided the perfect solution for global project logistics provider NMT and its client, industrial engineering giant Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions. The operation involved the transport of 20,000 freight tonnes of fabricated break-bulk reclaimer components from Henderson to Port Hedland in Western Australia – infrastructure that will uplift the port capacity of an iron ore mining facility in Nelson Point. The lift, stowage and transport of these units – the largest of which was the bucketwheel boom at just under 65 metres long – was undertaken by the crew of the AAL Nanjing, working in close cooperation with AAL’s transport engineers who had been planning the operation since the start of the year.

AAL’s Head of Transport Engineering, Nicola Pacifico explained, ‘Due to the large and unconventional size of the reclaimer components, which covered a total area on the vessel of more than 1,800 square meters, the lifting and stowage challenges were significant. The seven-month design and planning period for the operation involved AAL working alongside NMT and Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions’ project management team, engaged in weekly online meetings from early February. The collaboration proved successful, and the cargo was safely discharged in Port Hedland on schedule for onward transport to Nelson Point, where it will be used in the handling of iron ore.’

Jayme Bailey, Senior Project Manager at NMT Global Project Logistics, stated ‘our collaborative, team-oriented and hands-on approach proved a winning recipe for all stakeholders on this important project. Buy-in from our trusted service providers and a shared willingness to go the extra mile ensured the project was executed without issue, on-time and more importantly, on budget.’

Frank Mueller, General Manager of AAL Australia concluded, ‘We are delighted to continue our strong track record for NMT and Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, both of whom we are proud to have worked with in the past on domestic industrial projects across Australia.

‘The local multipurpose shipping market is still challenging since COVID, with port disruptions and labour issues affecting schedules and normal operations. The Australian project sector itself has also experienced upheaval and will continue to weather difficult external conditions until a possible peak of investment of $A95 billion per annum in planned infrastructure between 2023-24 and 2025-26. We will therefore continue to ensure our services within the sector remain consistent and keep delivering for our customers despite any and all market challenges.’

Increasing its coverage of key Southeast Asian Markets, AAL Shipping (AAL) is adding Thailand and Singapore to is long-standing Asia to West Coast Australia Liner service (AUWC). 

The service was also recently bolstered with the addition of a third vessel – a 19,000dwt heavy lift multipurpose ship, the S-Class AAL Bangkok. This additional tonnage will not only increase cargo capacity but also enable a 25-day frequency on the service – ensuring that AAL customers continue to enjoy the most comprehensive and reliable scheduled breakbulk service from Asia into Western Australia. 

The new port calls will commence January 2023 with the AAL Gunsan voyage 23001, as reflected on AAL’s weekly liner service schedule available here: Sailings & Schedules – AAL (aalshipping.com)

For queries or freight inquiries, please contact us today at: Chartering@aalshipping.com

AAL was the proud headline sponsor of the world’s top transport journalist awards, held in London on Wednesday 7^th December 2022. The Seahorse Freight Association Journalist Awards, in partnership with AAL Shipping, celebrate the best journalism in supply chain, logistics, and transport, as well as recognising individuals who have gone above and beyond to represent the industry.

In front of an audience of over 200 top journalists from around the world, our company not only helped to organise the event, but opened the awards on the night with a speech from John Pittalis and presented the ‘Multipurpose Cargo Journalist of the Year 2022’ award to Sophie Barnes of HLPFI (collecting on behalf magazine Editor, Dave Kershaw). AAL’s ties to these awards go back to 2015.

Winners of the judged awards each received a cash prize, as well as being recognised on the night. The Seahorse Awards are open globally to any reporter, freelancer, or editor in the industry and aim to celebrate great journalism. The 12 award categories included: Journalist of the Year; Maritime Journalist of the Year; Supply Chain Journalist of the Year; Multipurpose Cargo Logistics Journalist of the Year; and Lifetime Achievement.

Renewable energy developer RES Australia has reached a major milestone in the construction of the 180MW Dulacca wind farm in Queensland’s southwest, with the installation of the last of the project’s 43 turbines – the components of which were loaded in China and shipped to the site by AAL Shipping (AAL).

RES has marked the occasion with a snapshot of the final huge turbine standing in place at the project site in Queensland’s Western Downs region. The V150-4.2MW wind turbines, supplied and installed by Vestas and carried by AAL, are said to be the tallest installed in Australia, at nearly 250 metres from base to tip.  RES says construction of the project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023.

Between February and July 2022, AAL operated a series of shipments between China and Brisbane to transport heavy lift and project cargo components for the 181MW Dulacca Wind Farm. Employed by multiple global logistics companies, AAL’s shipments comprised all 43 Vestas wind turbines (towers and blades), transformers, electrical cables and other – a total of close to 375,000 freight tonnes (FRT) of cargo.

Andrew Mangan, Chartering Manager at AAL commented, ‘The shipments into Brisbane for Dulacca were loaded in several Chinese ports including Tianjin, Taicang and Yangzhou and we worked with multiple logistics companies in their execution, each with their own specific timeline and cargo requirements. We therefore utilised two different vessel classes on the project, our ‘mega-size’ 31,000 deadweight (DWT) A-Class and the more compact 19,000 DWT S-Class – to manage both large and small shipment sizes with as much efficiency and economy of scale for our customers as possible.’

Chris Yabsley, Chartering Manager at AAL Australia, added, ‘The wind farm will generate enough clean energy to power 124,000 homes and inject over AUD 400m into the local economy. The award of this project was a welcome recognition of AAL’s long-standing ‘Asia – Australia’ trade lane and expertise, which has served customers with a regular scheduled service for over 27 years. We are proud to be part of such an important local project and help to expand the use of sustainable green energy solutions in the country.’

The pair were recognised in the Bulk & Specialised Shipping category for their partnership on a tug recovery operation in Devonport, Tasmania, this year

Singapore, 18 November 2022: AAL Shipping (AAL) has been named joint winner in the DCN Australian Shipping and Maritime Industry awards 2022, together with partner United Salvage, for their collaboration on the complex retrieval of two sunken tugs from the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania.

The Bulk & Specialised Shipping trophy was given in recognition of the pair’s combined efforts in recovering the tugs, weighing 420 tonnes and 455 tonnes respectively, which had been sunk by a cement carrier at the start of the year.

AAL’s 31,000DWT 700-tonne heavy lift vessel, the AAL Melbourne, was enlisted for the lifting operation and onward shipment of the tugs to Brisbane after previous salvage attempts were unsuccessful.

Following months of careful planning and modelling, and collaboration with key stakeholders including United Salvage, TasPorts, and cargo insurers, the recovery was completed in August.

Guests at the Awards, held in Melbourne last week, heard that in January 2022 two tugs in the port of Devonport were sunk after being hit by a cement carrier, creating a major environmental and pollution hazard, as well as blocking normal port operations and vessel movement.

AAL Shipping’s heavy lift vessel the AAL Melbourne – and United Salvage as the salvage and environmental support specialist – worked in tandem with various stakeholders including TasPorts to complete an intensive oil spill recovery followed by a complex salvage operation of the two sunken tugs.

“This win recognises the impressive and determined combined efforts of AAL and United Salvage in completing one of the Australia’s most complex salvage operations,” said Frank Mueller, General Manager, AAL Australia.

“United Salvage originally planned to use a floating crane and barge to recover these tugs, however, once we demonstrated that our A-Class vessel could not only recover the tugs but also transport them back up the East Coast for delivery to Brisbane, it was clear that AAL would be the perfect partner.”

The award was accepted by Drew Shannon, Managing Director, United Salvage, Melwyn Noronha, Chief Executive Officer of Shipping Australia and one of the judges on the panel during the awards ceremony in Melbourne, Australia.

The Bulk & Specialised Shipping award is open to all sectors involved in the process chain that handle bulk, breakbulk and project heavy lift cargoes.

AAL Shipping (AAL) has added further vessels to its owned multipurpose cargo vessel (MPV) fleet. This month saw the delivery of the 2010 ‘AAL Gunsan’ (ex-BBC America) and her sister vessel, the 2009 ‘AAL Geelong’ (ex-BBC Valparaiso) – the latter taken over a few months ago. These are the last of four 25,800 deadweight (DWT) multipurpose heavy lift sister vessels (classified by AAL as G-class) secured through an acquisition transaction penned back in 2021 by AAL / Schoeller Holdings Group.

During the Summer, the AAL / Schoeller Holdings Group further acquired the ‘AAL Moon’ – a 33,000 DWT multipurpose vessel built in 2010 (classified by AAL as W-Class) and having previously served within the AAL fleet under commercial management since 2017.

Kyriacos Panayides, CEO of AAL, explained, ‘These acquisitions are perfectly in line with our continued fleet strategy to employ large MPVs which, through their significant cargo intake volumes, offer our shippers greater economies of scale on every sailing. Indeed, AAL is one of the leading ‘large tonnage’ MPV operators in the market.’

He added, ‘They also expand our multipurpose operating fleet to 864,800dwt, of which 90% is now fully controlled by AAL / Schoeller Holdings Group. This authority that AAL has over its operating fleet is important to the long-term sustainable expansion and deployment of our vessels; the strengthening of our global service model; and the frequency and flexibility demanded by our diverse global customer base. The vessels are being positioned across the world, in service of our monthly liner, regular trade lane and tramp chartering operations.’

Despite a challenging 18 months of global market upheaval due to COVID, the container boom and geo-political unrest, AAL has remained steadfast in support of its traditional breakbulk and multipurpose cargo customers – adding tonnage to, and improving frequency on, its core global trade lanes between the Americas, Africa, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia, and Oceania. In 2022, AAL has been recognized for its service by the multipurpose shipping community through two prestigious global carrier awards – ‘Ship Operator of the Year 2022’ at the Heavy Lift Awards and ‘Best Shipping Line – Project Cargo’ at the AFLAS Awards.

AAL is strengthening its Americas division with several appointments to key positions over the past few months. These comprise the promotion of Henrik Hansen to General Manager; recruitment of highly experienced local MPP commercial executive, Jacqueline Berry to Sales Manager; elevation of Christian Johnson to Regional Operations Manager and hiring of Texas A&M University Maritime Administration graduate, Grant Leal, as Voyage Operator. These latest appointments will boost the US team’s service capability, as it handles regular sailings and cargoes through the region.

Newly appointed General Manager, Henrik Hansen, explained, ‘The Americas is an important market for AAL and our global customer base, and we have had a presence in the region for almost a decade. Today, we are operating regular sailings between the US, Europe and Asia and the reputation of AAL amongst local customers who represent multiple industry sectors has grown exponentially, and we have repaid their trust with a consistent multipurpose cargo service through the region, despite all market challenges.’

Felix Schoeller, Commercial Director of AAL added, ‘Having one of the most advanced fleets in the breakbulk and project heavy lift sector is all well and good, but it needs to be managed and operated by top people at every level. This year, AAL has won the sector’s top global carrier awards – given primarily by our peers for unrelenting commitment to service. Our excellent US team reflects that charter, to being the very best we can be and going the extra mile for our customers and partners.’

He concluded, ‘Only last month, we attended Breakbulk Americas 2022 in Houston and were delighted to engage with so many of our customers and contacts. We are committed to the region for the long term and are looking forward to developing this market further.’

AAL Shipping (AAL) was named the ‘Ship Operator of the Year’ at the annual Heavy Lift and Project Forwarding International (HLPFI) Awards night, held in Hamburg, Germany on Thursday 22nd September.

AAL has remained committed to its project cargo customers over the past year, rerouting vessels, and adding capacity to its busiest services to bring shippers more choice and regularity.

‘We’re committed to meeting the needs of our customers, and to be recognised with this award for a second time is testament to our dedication in this endeavour,” said John Pittalis, Marketing & Communications Manager, AAL. ‘We strive to be the carrier of choice for majors in multiple industry sectors, as we push forward with projects to not only enhance our service but also to drive the sustainability of our operations for the benefit of the entire sector.’

Judges were looking for a carrier that has demonstrated its ability to efficiently support the movement by sea of heavy and oversize project cargoes over the past 12 months, demonstrating in particular the ability to adapt to challenging market conditions and the changing needs of customers. During this time, AAL continued to prioritise breakbulk and project customers despite the sharp growth in the container market within the MPP sector.

The last 12 months has also seen AAL acquire more than eight second-hand vessels and order six 32,000 dwt heavy lift ‘Super B-Class’ vessels, designed by its in-house engineers. The ‘Super B-Class’ vessels break new ground in MPP ship design and technologies, to optimise seafarer wellbeing as well cargo intake, while also running on dual-fuel engines, ready to harness new, greener fuels and support AAL’s charter to be a frontrunner for more sustainable shipping solutions.

See also AAL TRIUMPHS AGAIN AT 2022 AFLAS AWARDS!