Singapore-based heavy lift shipping company AAL Shipping has successfully completed the delivery of a total of 83 wind turbines for the Wambo wind farm in Queensland, Australia.
Once operational, the turbines are expected to generate over 500 MW of electricity, enough to power approximately 312,000 households.
The large-scale logistics operation was executed in two project phases between 2023 and 2025. The first phase saw the transport of 42 turbines over nine voyages, while the second phase has recently been completed with the arrival of the “AAL Genoar” with further 41 turbines. A total of 18 journeys were required, carried out with A, G and S class heavy lift vessels from the company’s AAL’s fleet.
The major order included the delivery of towers, rotor blades and nacelles, which were transported to Brisbane from several Chinese ports including Dongzao, Lüsi, Tianjin and Taicang. The largest components included tower segments weighing up to 90 tons and rotor blades exceeding over 80 meters long.
Synthetic lashing chains in use for the first time
In a technical milestone for AAL, the company used synthetic lashing chains and slings for the first time to secure the sensitive blades during transport. These innovative lashings replace conventional steel chains, which can vibrate during lashing and damage sensitive cargo. The synthetic variants are lighter and are designed to increase work safety, especially when working at heights of more than nine meters.
“Challenges with schedules required flexible adaptation of ship and driving operations,” explained AAL manager Frank Mueller. The shipping company sees the transports as part of its commitment to further expanding the connections between Asia and Australia.
