AAL Shipping’s AAL Antwerp has made her maiden call at the Port of Dover, delivering a 330-tonne transformer and associated cargo for the redevelopment of the Sellindge Substation, a key part of the UK National Grid. The call also marked the first arrival of AAL’s new Super B-Class fleet in Dover.
The long-haul voyage from Asia highlighted the heavy-lift capacity and cargo versatility of the Super B-Class design. The transformer was loaded in Taicang, China, alongside additional shipments of steel frames and barges from Taichung and Nantong. After navigating around the Cape of Good Hope, the vessel discharged barges in Rotterdam and steel frames in Cuxhaven before arriving in Dover for the transformer delivery. Her final stop will be Antwerp.
Launched in 2024, AAL’s Super B-Class fleet features eight 32,000-deadweight heavy lift vessels. Each offers over 90,000 FRT cargo intake, three heavy-lift cranes with tandem lifting capacity of up to 700 tonnes (800 tonnes on later vessels), reinforced deck strength, and the innovative ‘ECO-DECK’ system that expands open deck space to more than 5,000 sq. m. Six of the vessels are already in service, with the final two—AAL Newcastle and AAL Mumbai—scheduled for delivery in 2026.
“The Port of Dover is a strategic gateway into the UK,” said John Pittalis, Global Head of Marketing & Communications at AAL. “With our new Super B-Class fleet, expanded tonnage and increased sailing frequency, we are seeing growing demand in support of national energy infrastructure projects.”
Emma Ward, COO at the Port of Dover, added: “This milestone highlights the port’s capability to handle advanced heavy-lift vessels and complex project cargo, while supporting critical projects like the Sellindge Substation redevelopment.”
