Heavy-lift partners to add more ships
Amsterdam-based BigLift Shipping, a Spliethoff Group company, and South Korea’s CY Shipping are to boost their four-ship heavy-lift fleet with two new vessels ordered at Jing Jiang Nanyang Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in China. Each company will own one of the ships, designed jointly by the partners, with CY Shipping taking delivery of the first vessel in the last quarter of 2025 and the Dutch partner receiving the second ship in the second quarter of 2026.
The new BC-class vessels are designed for the worldwide shipment of ultra-large and heavy modular cargoes, with a focus on reliable services speed, low accelerations, and optimised loading and discharge times, the partners said. The ship specifications are similar to those of BigLift’s MC-Class ships, Barentsz and BigLift Baffin, with which they will be interchangeable, although the new ships will have longer decks.
The 25,000dwt BC-class length overall is 180m, with a beam of 43m, and a deck space of 140m by 43m, providing a fully unobstructed deck space of 6,020m2. Cargo will be loaded over the stern or the side by RoRo or skidding. The vessels will have a ballasting capacity of 12,000m3/hour.
CY Shipping director, James Jung, commented: "I’m very proud and excited to strengthen our partnership with BigLift Shipping further. As a modern company, we understand the importance of being ahead of the market requirements, making a difference, and adding value to customers’ requirements.”
Johan Boer, BigLift Shipping commercial director, said: “It’s great to see how an initial idea turns into such a strong partnership. Both companies share many of the same values, and we are pleased to start this newbuilding programme together with CY Shipping.”
The partners’ four existing vessels are commercially managed by BigLift Shipping. The new vessels will provide the partners with more operational flexibility. Three pairs of identical sister vessels will enable them to engage in long-term contractual business as well as single-voyage projects.