The MPP shipping company AAL Shipping has delivered a cargo handling crane to the Philippine port of Bataan. The region has been experiencing strong economic growth for years.
The heavy lift carrier “AAL Singapore” has successfully delivered a 28 m high and 255 t heavy cargo handling crane to the Philippines. For AAL Shipping, the operation is a success on the Asia-Europe route and in the intra-Asian market, which is one of the fastest growing trade segments worldwide. The delivery connects several markets in North East and South East Asia as well as Europe. AAL also plans to further engage in trade in the region.
The “AAL Singapore”, an A-class vessel (31,000 tdw), transported the crane on behalf of Foremost Milling Corporation in Bataan, Philippines. “Due to the extreme size and special cargo handling requirements, a careful tandem lift was required with the vessel’s port-mounted 700-tonne combination lifting cranes stabilized by two counterweights,” the shipping company announced. The total lifting capacity was 312 tons.
“The shiploader presented us with several complex technical challenges, especially during the lifting operation,” said Nicola Pacifico, Global Head of Engineering at AAL Shipping. “To avoid any risk of structural damage, a vertical lift from the lifting lugs was essential. At the same time, the operation had to be carried out carefully due to the tight height and clearance restrictions imposed by the nearby generator and access platform.”
Intra-regional trade on the Intra-Asia Corridor has increased by 43% over the last four decades and accounts for more than half of the region’s total volume. Southeast Asia is driving this change, shifting the focus from labor-intensive industries to high-tech manufacturing in the electronics, semiconductor and automotive sectors.
According to AAL, the “China Plus One” strategy is also contributing to this. Global companies are increasingly splitting their supply chains across several Asian markets instead of making them dependent on one location. The production output of the now eleven ASEAN countries in the Southeast Asian region has grown steadily since 2016, and intra-Asian trade recovered by 7% by 2024, reaching a combined import and export volume of almost $3.56 trillion.
Strong growth in Southeast Asia
The newly delivered loading crane will be used at the Mariveles Grain Corporation terminal, where it forms an important part of the end-to-end grain handling system. With an unloading capacity of 10,000 tons per day, the system will help stabilize grain import logistics and support the growth of the local food industry.
Port infrastructure projects worth over $110 billion are currently being implemented throughout Southeast Asia. This also results in a growing size and complexity of project cargo in these ports – and thus increasing demand for specialized heavy lift and MPP vessels.
“Our fleet is one of the most efficient in the industry in terms of lifting capacity, stowage flexibility and self-sufficiency. AAL offers regular monthly services on Asia’s major trade routes,” said Andrew Mangan, Chartering Manager at AAL Australia. “This allows our customers to utilize scheduled long haul connections for project cargo within Asia.”
Mangan added: “As the regional manufacturing industry continues to diversify and ports expand for larger and more complex components, AAL is ideally placed to provide the reliability, EPC level engineering and operational safety required for these projects.”
Just a few weeks ago, the shipping company completed a heavy lift project in South America: in December, an AAL Shipping heavylifter delivered a total of 16 barges in Uruguay.
