UHL Fable christened in Hamburg

UHL Fable in front of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie (Source: UHL)

Germany’s United Heavy Lift (UHL), part of the Hamburg-based United Group, has named its latest multipurpose heavy-lift vessel in a ceremony at the Baakenhöft Terminal near the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in the Port of Hamburg.

The ceremony took place following completion of the 13,402dwt vessel’s maiden voyage from CSSC Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai. The new ship, number 19 in UHL’s F900 Eco-Lifter series, transported its first cargo of onshore rotor blades for Danish wind energy company, Vestas Wind Systems.  

Vessels in this class have a range of sustainable features including an IMO Tier III-certified main engine from which 95% of NOx emissions are washed out. Diesel particles are burnt off in catalytic converters. The vessel has two cranes of 450 tonnes safe working load.

The economical UHK Fable burns ten tonnes of fuel at 12 knots and 21 tonnes at 15 knots. Like its sister vessel, UHL Fresh, the ship can use biodiesel. UHL claims that its F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, with an average age of just three years, has a carbon footprint 30-50% lower than other fleets in the heavy-lift sector.  

Andreas Rolner, managing director, said: “We are very happy to be naming yet another vessel in our home port of Hamburg. The UHL Fable completes our F900 Eco-Lifter fleet, which stands for United Heavy Lift’s commitment to promoting 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 green energy.”

The outlook for the heavy-lift sector is promising, according to Rolner. He noted that there is strong demand for heavy-lift ships and very few new vessels on order.

“Shipbuilding sites are expensive and also scarce because they are occupied by newbuilds such as tankers or bulkers,” he said. “What’s more, heavy-lift vessels are also complicated to build.”

The new vessel was named by Nora-Katrin Rolner, the shipowner’s wife, as 400 guests celebrated the occasion.

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