AAL Shipping (AAL) has successfully completed the transportation of 125,175 revenue tonnes (RT) of wind turbine blades and towers for Western Australia’s King Rocks Wind Farm, delivering significant cost, schedule and environmental benefits through an optimised cargo strategy executed across just two sailings using its 32,000 DWT Super B-Class vessel, AAL Antwerp, and 31,000 DWT A-Class vessel, AAL Shanghai.
By maximising cargo intake and vessel utilisation, AAL consolidated cargo that would typically require three or even four sailings into just two voyages, significantly improving overall logistics efficiency and schedule integrity for the project. The achievement highlights the exceptional cargo-carrying capability of AAL’s modern multipurpose fleet and the company’s engineering expertise in supporting large-scale renewable energy developments.
The final shipment saw AAL Antwerp arrive in Bunbury carrying 91,739 revenue tonnes (RT) of wind energy cargo, including 51 wind turbine blades measuring up to 80 metres in length and weighing more than 36 tonnes each. The blades were stowed up to six units wide and five tiers high, demonstrating the high-capacity intake and flexibility of AAL’s Super B-Class design. This shipment alone accounted for more than 70% of the project’s total cargo volume, underlining the vessel’s exceptional cargo intake capability and the efficiency gains achieved through advanced stowage planning.
Combined with an earlier voyage by AAL Shanghai, AAL transported a total of 125,175 RT of wind turbine components for the 17-turbine King Rocks Wind Farm near Hyden, Western Australia. “Projects such as the 105 MW King Rocks Wind Farm demonstrate the value that AAL’s engineering expertise and modern vessel design bring to renewable energy logistics,” said Renate Poppe, Regional Operations Manager, AAL Shipping Australia.
“Despite the sheer size and volume of the components involved, by optimising cargo stowage and vessel utilisation we were able to consolidate what would traditionally require multiple sailings into just two voyages, delivering tangible financial and schedule benefits for our customer while maintaining the highest standards of safety and cargo care,” Poppe continued.
The King Rocks Wind Farm will generate 105 MW of renewable energy, enough to power approximately 70,000 homes and forms an important part of Western Australia’s energy transition strategy. The project is also expected to support around 200 jobs during construction and operations over its 30-year lifespan.
“The discharge operation of AAL Antwerp in Bunbury presented its own challenges, particularly the stringent crew and cargo safety measures required when handling upper-tier blades stacked up to five levels high,” said Nicola Pacifico, Global Head of Engineering, AAL Shipping. “Painstaking planning and execution were required to accommodate port crane height and outreach limitations. Despite the complexity, discharge was completed safely and efficiently within nine days.”
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