SAL Heavy Lift is adding two top modern semi-submersible deck carriers through long term charters with its partner Shanghai Salvage.
The Zhong Ren 121 and Zhong Ren 122 will be delivered in Shanghai between December 2023 and February 2024 and marketed through the Jumbo-SAL-Alliance.
The Zhong Ren 121 and Zhong Ren 122 were constructed by Dalian COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry. The 26,000 dwt vessels are 169 m long, 39.8 m wide, fitted with ultra-modern DP2 technology, and accommodation facilities for up to 59 people. The design load of the ship’s deck is 25 tons/square meter, the effective working area of the deck is 5,300 square meters, and the maximum submerged draft is 21.4 meters. The ship’s speed is about 14 knots, self-sustainability is 60 days, it has the function of fast load transfer, applicable to unlimited navigation area, meets the current international conventions, rules and China Maritime Safety Administration (CMA), China Classification Society (CCS) current relevant rules of the latest requirements.
“This project is extremely important to us as a group, both commercially and strategically,” said Dr Martin Harren, CEO of SAL Heavy Lift and the Harren Group.
SAL has been working intensively on the topic of semi-submersible deck carriers for years. In 2021, a special department was founded for this purpose. SAL has been acting as commercial agent for two Pan Ocean deck carriers since 2017, gaining valuable experience in the project-based chartering of external tonnage.
“Zhong Ren 121 and Zhong Ren 122 will empower us to undertake cargo transportation and projects previously inconceivable with our existing fleet,” explains Matthieu Moerman, Director Chartering & Project at Jumbo-SAL-Alliance. “They will expand our capabilities, opening doors to new markets. By adding the two vessels, we can offer more marine transport solutions as a group.”
Following delivery, SAL will have the opportunity to utilise the two vessels for cargo transports from Asia to Europe. Afterwards, they will be deployed for an offshore wind farm project in the USA.
Once the wind farm project has been completed, SAL intends to extend the charter contracts with Shanghai Salvage for an additional two to three years.