United Heavy Lift’s new heavy lift vessel UHL Fresh, set sail on her maiden voyage from Tianjin, China to Europe with project cargo onboard. The vessel has been officially delivered to the shipping company on January 24, 2024.

The vessel has been put into service less than a year after the keel laying at the Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai, where she was christened in late 2023, UHL said. Final sea trials were completed last month by a designated United Heavy Lift bridge crew led by German captain Sven Ellerbrock and First Officer Pit Awe.

MV UHL Fresh joins the Hamburg-based shipping company as vessel no. 18 in their homogenous F900 Eco-Lifter fleet. The vessel is set to make her call at the port of discharge in Vaasa, Finland by the end of March. The technical manager of the vessel will be Zeaborn Ship Management.

Green heavy lift vessel

In line with United Heavy Lift’s commitment to sustainable maritime practices, the state-of-the-art multipurpose (MPP) heavy lift vessel features a main engine which is IMO Tier III-certified. According to the international standard, up to 95 percent of the vessel’s NOX emissions will be washed out, while diesel particles will be burnt off in the catalyses.

With bunker consumption of seven metric tons/ nine knots, 10 metric tons/12 knots, and 21 metric tons/15 knots the Eco-Lifter’s low fuel consumption stands out in comparison to similar vessels. As the newest member of an already young fleet, MV UHL Fresh is also able to run on biodiesel, which makes the operation of its main engine carbon-neutral.

“United Heavy Lift is continuing on the path towards an ever-growing environmental awareness in the entire shipping business,” says UHL Managing Director, Andreas Rolner. “As a service provider we form an important link in the transport chain of large companies, whose focus is shifting towards ESG-compliant solutions. Our average fleet age of approximately 3 years is a great advantage within the emissions trading systems ETS and directly benefits our customers: compared to a 20-year-old MPP Heavy Lifter, for example, the CO2 levy for a newbuild like the MV UHL FRESH is only half the price.”

More MPP newbuilds to come

Operating globally, United Heavy Lift has attuned its fleet expansion and renewal to the prospects of the growing market for eco-friendly breakbulk and heavy lift sea transportation. The company is expecting another newbuilding to be named MV UHL Fable as vessel no. 19 from Hudong Shipyard later in 2024.

Its sister company, United Heavy Transport has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Dongbang Transport Logistics to combine expertise in heavy lift vessels and heavy transport vessels.

The MOU symbolises the integration of UHT’s heavy-lift expertise and Dongbang’s mastery of open deck carrier operations.

At the signing of the MoU, Rolner said, “In this strategic alliance, UHT in conjunction with United Engineering Solutions and Dongbang unite their strengths, combining heavy lift vessels (HLV) expertise with heavy transport vessels (HTV). The MOU is more than a signature; it’s a commitment to a shared vision of enduring cooperation, delivering fully integrated maritime project management solutions for modular marine transportation.”