AAL Shipping has completed the transport of three fully assembled Konecranes Gottwald ESP 10 mobile harbour cranes from the Netherlands to ports in Mexico and Chile, marking a major milestone for its new Super B-Class vessel, the AAL Hamburg.
The 220,000+ freight ton shipment was executed using an innovative open hatch sailing configuration—an industry first for the 32,000 dwt AAL Hamburg. The massive cranes, each weighing approximately 642 tonnes and standing 58.2 metres tall, were loaded in Schiedam and Westdorpe using the vessel’s onboard heavy lift cranes.
Due to the towering size of the cargo, AAL engineered a custom tank top stowage and sailed with the vessel’s hatch covers open. This reduced the air draft by over 16 metres, enabling safe passage under bridges and through the Panama Canal—cutting 2,800 nautical miles from the journey.
“This project showcases the Super B-Class’s ability to transport taller, heavier cargoes while maintaining fast delivery schedules,” said Yahaya Sanusi, AAL’s Deputy Head of Transport Engineering. “Our open hatch design was key to safely accommodating these oversized cranes.”
Each crane is designed for container operations with Super-Post-Panamax vessels and boasts a lifting capacity of 125 tonnes. At their destinations, AAL’s cranes—capable of lifting up to 700 tonnes—were again used to discharge the cargo.
Konecranes’ Head of Project Management, Ole Kornol, praised AAL for their innovative solution: “Stowing the cranes on the tank top deck enabled the preferred sea passage via the Panama Canal, reducing transit time and operational risks. The collaboration was both professional and efficient.”
