AAL Shipping has strengthened its presence in Asia’s fast growing Intra Asia trade corridor after transporting a 28 metre high, 255 tonne shiploader onboard the AAL Singapore on its Asia to Europe service.
The unit was carried on one of the company’s 31,000 dwt A Class vessels and discharged in Bataan, Philippines, for delivery to the Foremost Milling Corporation facility. The complex operation required a tandem lift using the vessel’s port mounted 700 tonne maximum combi lift cranes, supported by two counterweights, bringing the total gross lift to 312 tonnes.
According to Nicola Pacifico, Global Head of Engineering at AAL Shipping, the cargo posed significant engineering challenges. A vertical lift from the pad eyes was required to avoid structural damage, while strict height and clearance limitations near a generator and access platform demanded careful planning and execution.
The shipment highlights the rapid expansion of intra regional trade across Asia, now the world’s fastest growing regional trade segment. Southeast Asia in particular is accelerating its shift toward advanced manufacturing, driven in part by the China Plus One strategy as companies diversify supply chains.
The shiploader will operate at the Mariveles Grain Corporation terminal, supporting grain import logistics with a discharge capacity of 10,000 tonnes per day. With more than US$110 billion in port projects underway across Southeast Asia, demand for specialised heavy lift and multipurpose tonnage continues to rise, positioning AAL to support increasingly complex project cargo moves.
