Germany's SAL and China's Wuhu Shipyard Plan to Build 5 More Heavy-Lift Vessels

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 3, Germany's SAL Heavy Lift and China's Wuhu Shipyard signed a memorandum of understanding during SMM 2026 in Hamburg to build an additional five 14,600 DWT Orca-class multipurpose heavy-lift vessels. If all are subsequently converted into formal construction contracts, the scale of the two parties' Orca-class cooperation will expand from the currently confirmed five vessels to ten.

SAL initially placed an order with Wuhu Shipyard in 2022 for four firm Orca-class heavy-lift vessels plus two options, and exercised one of those options at the end of 2023, bringing the confirmed construction count to five. Three vessels have been delivered to date, with the third, "Patricia," completing delivery in June 2026 and immediately carrying Vestas wind power equipment from Asia to Europe on her maiden voyage; the first two vessels, "Elise" and "Frida," have been placed on long-term charters since delivery.

The Orca-class vessels are approximately 150 meters in length, feature a single large cargo hold design, and are equipped with two heavy-lift cranes with a combined lifting capacity of 1,600 tons. The vessels are also fitted with hybrid propulsion and energy management systems, and are designed with technical provisions for future methanol fuel use, primarily serving offshore wind power equipment, major industrial equipment, and large project cargo transportation.

The five intended vessels in this batch will continue to use the existing Orca-class platform. Public information has not yet disclosed the per-vessel construction cost, the timing of formal contract signing, specific delivery batches, or the construction cycle. If all of this memorandum of understanding is converted into formal orders, the size of SAL's Orca-class fleet built at Wuhu Shipyard will double compared to the originally confirmed series.