OCEAN transport operator AAL Shipping has reported completing one of its “most complex engineering operations” safely transporting 16 bulk commodity transport barges from Brazil to Uruguay on a single sailing.
AAL Hamburg discharging the barges in Uruguay. Images: AAL Shipping
The shipment had a combined volume of 80,000 freight tonnes and the ship involved with the 32,000DWTt heavy-lift vessel AAL Hamburg (IMO 9958767).
The operation was said to have successfully combined the “next generation capabilities” of AAL’s 32,000 dwt Super B-Class with its engineering and operations expertise.
The voyage was also said to have marked the first stage of AAL establishing a regular presence in South America.
The barges being delivered by AAL are expected to support the iron and manganese sectors.
Each barge measures 61 metres in length, 15 metres in width and weighs around 380 to 400 tonnes.
According to AAL, they were loaded and stacked over several days in a transverse four-tier formation with a 15-metre overhang on each side of the vessel, a configuration rarely seen in the industry.
“The significant cargo overhang on both the starboard and port sides created major stability challenges along the 3,400 km ocean passage between Northern Brazil and Uruguay,” said Yahaya Sanusi, deputy head of AAL Engineering.
“We spent many weeks developing a safe and efficient solution to meet the client’s objectives—and delivered it through, forward thinking engineering, and close collaboration between AAL and the wider supply-chain.
“The AAL Hamburg proved self-sustaining, using her own 700-tonne max-lift cranes to avoid costly and hard-to-source floating cranes and helping to deliver optimum operational efficiency, and safety throughout.”
Senior chartering manager AAL Americas Eugene Nutovych said the project had “pushed boundaries”.
“It has provided valuable experience and insights not only for AAL, but all our supply chain partners involved—hugely important to the successful delivery of future project demands.”
The production of high-grade iron and manganese ores is said to be of large commercial importance to the region.