Just six months after United Heavy Lift launched the UHL Fresh, the Hamburg-based heavy-lift shipping company has now named the last vessel in the series of its F900 Eco-Lifters, the UHL Fable. The vessel was named at the Baakenhöft Terminal near the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in the Port of Hamburg.

“We are very happy to be naming yet another vessel in our home port of Hamburg,” said Andreas Rolner, Managing Director of United Heavy Lift, at the ceremony. “The UHL Fable completes our F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, which stands for United Heavy Lift’s commitment to promoting sustainable shipping. It is the most modern and homogeneous heavy lift fleet in the world. There is a strong global demand for alternative energy sources, and we are proud to be part of the supply chain for green energy.”

The maiden voyage of the UHL Fable reaffirmed this commitment: On its way from Tianjin and Dongzhao to Cuxhaven (Germany), the multi-purpose (MPP) heavy lift vessel transported a project cargo of rotor blades for onshore wind turbines for the UHL customer, Danish manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems.

Like her sister vessel UHL Fresh, which entered service in January 2024, the UHL Fable was built at the CSSC Hudong shipyard in Shanghai. The construction time from keel laying in July 2023 to delivery to the German bridge crew led by Captain Karsten Strotmann and his first officer Pit Awe in April 2024 was just nine months.

The UHL Fable will continue her service to Asia fully loaded with heavy and project cargo.

The Eco-Lifter fleet

The F900 Eco-Lifter class is designed and built according to the latest technological standards. About 150 metres long, the ultra-modern UHL FABLE also features an IMO Tier III certified main engine. In accordance with the international standard, up to 95 per cent of the vessel’s NOX emissions are washed out while diesel particles are burnt off in the catalytic converters.

Read more: UHL completes F900 Eco-Lifter MPP program, UHL Fable delivered

With bunker consumption of 7 metric tons/9 knots, 10 metric tons/12 knots and 21 metric tons/15 knots, the Eco Lifter is characterised by low bunker consumption compared to similar heavy lift vessels. As the newest addition to the now 19 vessels strong UHL F900 fleet, the UHL Fable (like her sister vessel UHL Fresh) can also be fuelled with biodiesel, which makes the operation of the main engine climate-neutral.

Overall, the carbon footprint of United Heavy Lift’s F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, which has an average age of three years, is 30 to 50 per cent lower compared to other fleets in the heavy lift sector, according to UHL.

High demand for heavy lift services

The global shipping company United Heavy Lift has attuned its fleet to the requirements of the growing market for eco-friendly breakbulk and heavy-lift ocean transport.

“We are supporting the energy transition with our vessels, and the transport of onshore wind turbines is part of our core business,” says Rolner. “The market for this is developing well with demand driven by the desired expansion of renewable energies. Our customers have already reserved extensive capacities for wind power: We are already 30 per cent booked in this segment until 2028.”

The shipowner believes that the reason why market players are currently securing tonnage so early is that while there is high demand for heavy lifter services, hardly any new vessels are expected for this segment in the foreseeable future.

“Shipbuilding sites are expensive and also scarce because they are occupied by newbuilds such as tankers or bulkers. What’s more, heavy lift vessels are also complicated to build,” he adds.

The tonnage and crane capacity of the UHL-F900 vessels also make the fleet suitable for cross-sectoral use like container transport.