Ship christening in the Port of Hamburg
15 Jul 2024 15:00 Shipping News
Just six months after launching the UHL FRESH, the Hamburg-based heavy lift shipping company is expanding its environmentally friendly F900 Eco-Lifter fleet with another new vessel: the UHL FABLE. This is the 19th ship in the series, further developed and operated by United Heavy Lift, setting new standards for eco-friendly transport in breakbulk and heavy-lift shipping, contributing significantly to the energy transition.
On Monday, July 15, the UHL FABLE was christened in a festive ceremony attended by 400 guests at the Baakenhöft terminal near the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall in the Port of Hamburg.
"We are very pleased to christen another vessel in our home port of Hamburg," said Andreas Rolner, Managing Partner of United Heavy Lift. "The UHL FABLE completes our F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, symbolizing our commitment to 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 this green energy."
The maiden voyage of the UHL FABLE reaffirmed this commitment: carrying rotor blades for onshore wind turbines from Tianjin and Dongzhao to Cuxhaven for Danish manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems.
Like its sister ship UHL FRESH, set to enter service in January 2024, the UHL FABLE was built at the CSSC Hudong shipyard in Shanghai, renowned for its top-quality construction. The build time from keel laying in July 2023 to acceptance by the German bridge crew led by Captain Karsten Strotmann and First Officer Pit Awe in April 2024 was just nine months.
Environmentally friendly Eco-Lifter fleet
The F900 Eco-Lifter class is designed and built to the latest state of the art and is equipped with the most modern systems and the most economical propulsion technology. The 150 metre long, ultra-modern UHL FABLE also has an IMO Tier III certified main engine. In accordance with the international standard, up to 95 per cent of the ship's NOX emissions are scrubbed, while diesel particles are burnt in the catalytic converters. With bunker consumption of 7 tonnes/9 knots, 10 tonnes/12 knots and 21 tonnes/15 knots, the Eco-Lifter has low bunker consumption compared to similar heavy lift vessels. As the newest member of the UHL F900 fleet, which now consists of 19 vessels, the UHL FABLE (like its sister ship UHL FRESH) can also run on biodiesel, making the main engine operation carbon neutral. Overall, the carbon footprint of United Heavy Lift's F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, which is on average three years old, is 30 to 50 per cent lower than other fleets in the heavy lift industry. This makes it the most modern and environmentally friendly MPP heavy lift fleet in the world.
Strong demand for heavy lift services
Global shipping company United Heavy Lift is gearing its fleet to meet the demands of the growing market for environmentally friendly breakbulk and heavy lift transport by sea. We support the energy transition with our ships, and the transport of onshore wind turbines is part of our core business," says Andreas Rolner. "The market is developing well. Demand is driven by the desired expansion of renewable energies. Our customers have already reserved extensive capacities for wind power: We have already booked 30 per cent in this segment until 2028".
According to the shipowner, the reason why market players are securing tonnage so early at the moment is that there is a high demand for heavy lift services, but hardly any newbuildings are expected in this segment for the foreseeable future. "Shipbuilding sites are expensive and also scarce because they are occupied by newbuildings such as tankers or bulkers. 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-utilisation, for example for transporting containers.
The UHL FABLE is the second addition to the Hamburg-based company's fleet this year. United Heavy Lift is one of the leading providers of maritime transport services for heavy lift, breakbulk and project cargo. The company operates a versatile fleet of 24 modern heavy lift vessels with lifting capacities ranging from 160 to 900 tonnes, the core of which are the F900 Eco-Lifter sister vessels.
Founded in 2015, United Heavy Lift is part of the UNITED GROUP, which is based in Hamburg's HafenCity and has a team of 120 employees worldwide. The engineering, including stowage plans, manuals, etc., as well as the commercial chartering are handled by the UNITED GROUP, namely by United Engineering Solutions, which is also based in HafenCity.
Christening in the Port of Hamburg
After its maiden voyage, the UHL FABLE was christened at the headquarters of United Heavy Lift. Nora-Katrin Rolner, wife of shipowner Andreas Rolner, was the godmother of the latest addition to the fleet. The festive and cheerful ceremony with 400 invited guests at the Baakenhöft terminal was hosted by the North German entertainer and author Annie Heger, with the 30-strong shanty choir 'Stader Hafensänger' providing the musical accompaniment. Captain Karsten Strotmann and his bridge crew then took over the ship. There are also three cadets on board (two nautical officers' assistants and a ship mechanic in training), as United Heavy Lift will be training its own crew on the UHL FABLE, as it does on all vessels in the F900 fleet.
After her christening, the UHL FABLE will continue her service to Asia fully loaded with heavy and project cargo.
Technical specifications UHL FABLE
- Length: 149.99 metres
- Breadth: 25.6 metres
- Draft: 8.3 metres
- Maximum speed: approx. 15 knots
- Surface area below deck: 3,870m2
- Floor space on deck: 2,990m2
- Total floor space: 6,860m2
- Deadweight: 13,402 tonnes
- Handling equipment: 2 cranes | 2 x 450 tonnes (safe working load)
About UNITED GROUP / United Heavy Lift
United HeavyLift is a leading provider of ocean transportation services for heavy lift, breakbulk and project cargo. UHL's services include chartering, cargo operations, technical supervision and engineering solutions. The team of more than 120 highly qualified employees in 12 offices around the world ensures smooth transport and cargo operations. With a fleet of 24 highly specialised vessels ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 dwt and with a combined lifting capacity of up to 900 tonnes, UHL offers the full range of standard transport to tailor-made engineering and transport solutions.
Since its foundation in 2015, UHL has grown strongly and has become part of the UNITED GROUP. Under the umbrella of the group, UHL is complemented and supported by its sister companies United Wind Logistics, United Engineering Solutions and United Heavy Transport. Through UNITED GROUP's technical arm, United Engineering Solutions, UHL has access to a team of over 50 naval architects, marine engineers and harbour masters who provide customers with a range of sophisticated technical transport solutions. They design and manufacture lifting gear, load distribution equipment, gratings and transport racks to ensure that every voyage is planned and executed flawlessly.
The heavy lift shipping company United Heavy Lift has christened the F900 Eco-Lifter UHL FABLE.
