AAL Australia (AAL) has completed a complex heavy lift transport project, delivering a large consignment of chemical plant components from Sattahip, Thailand, to Dampier on Australia’s west coast. The shipment highlights AAL’s capability to adapt its liner fleet to provide a dedicated tramp-chartering solution tailored to demanding project-cargo requirements.
The operation was carried out for American Shipping and Chartering (ASC) using the 19,000-dwt S-Class heavy lift vessel AAL Dampier. Equipped with a combined crane lifting capacity of 700 tonnes, three cargo holds, flexible tweendecks and a large weather deck, the vessel enabled a customised stowage plan that maximised cargo intake while meeting strict safe-navigation visibility regulations. The tallest unit measured almost 20 metres in height.
Weighing over 100 tonnes and measuring almost 20 metres in height, AAL Dampier loads the largest tank with a 16-point rigging arrangement
The cargo consisted of a range of heavy lift and over-dimensional chemical plant components, with individual pieces weighing more than 100 tonnes. The most challenging lift involved a large chemical tank that pushed the vessel’s cranes to their operating limits. The unit required a 16-point rigging configuration with precise sling lengths, leaving less than 500 mm of clearance between the weather deck and the cargo.
AAL Dampier operating a tandem lift with a combined maximum crane-lift capacity of 700 tonnes
Nicola Pacifico, AAL’s Head of Transport Engineering, said the shipment required close coordination across chartering, operations and engineering teams. “With extremely tight tolerances and complex rigging demands, precision engineering and on-site supervision were essential to ensure a safe and successful outcome,” he noted.
The cargo forms part of Project Ceres, a major urea plant development led by Perdaman Chemicals & Fertilisers on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia. Valued at approximately USD 4.5 billion, the project aims to strengthen Australia’s fertiliser supply chain, with the facility designed to produce around 2.3 million tonnes of urea per year.
Chris Yabsley, Chartering Manager at AAL Australia, added that the redeployment of AAL Dampier from its regular liner service demonstrated AAL’s flexibility and commitment to delivering efficient, damage-free project cargo solutions across Australia.
