Another Delivery! Milestones Galore at the Century-Old Wuhu Shipyard

On June 10, the third 14,600-ton multi-purpose heavy lift vessel (No. 14603), built by Wuhu Shipyard for Germany’s SAL Heavy Lift Group, was officially delivered and left the shipyard, embarking on its maiden voyage.

The vessel has a deadweight of 14,600 tonnes, an overall length of 149.9 m, a breadth of 27.2 m, a draught of 7.2 m, and a maximum speed of 18.5 knots. It features the largest single cargo hold among heavy lift vessels of the same class, and the hold can be left opentop to carry heavy and oversized cargo. As the third ship in this series, No. 14603 focuses on highend heavy lifting capability. Equipped with two heavy cranes – each capable of 880 tonnes in single lift and a combined lift of 1,600 tonnes – the vessel is a true “strongman” at sea, able to handle everything from wind turbine blades to large construction machinery with ease. In addition, the vessel leads in environmental protection and cargo adaptability. It is fitted with a hybrid variablefrequency drive control system that ensures stable power supply under various main engine operating conditions, improving mechanical efficiency. The engine adopts a dualfuel design with a methanolready fuel system, integrating fuel tanks, piping, and safety systems. In the future, it can be easily retrofitted to use green methanol, achieving a “plugandplay” lowcarbon upgrade.

Behind the efficient delivery lies the project team’s precise reuse of sea trial experience. Building on the first and second vessels, the team preestablished test procedures, proactively aligned feedback from the owner and classification society, and turned what would normally require repeated adjustments into a “firsttimeright” process. Upon returning from sea trials, all followup actions were quickly closed out, and materials, technical support, and manpower were seamlessly coordinated, culminating in the final delivery push. Strict process control and efficient collaboration are also clearly reflected in the vessel’s construction details. The overall build quality of this ship has been highly recognized by the owner.

A new vessel sets sail, together we win. Wuhu Shipyard will continue to uphold its quality philosophy of "meticulous craftsmanship, excellence in every vessel", strengthen refined management, deepen technological innovation, and build more high-performance, technologically advanced, green and low-carbon ships for its owners, contributing to the high-quality development of the global shipping industry.