New 25,000 DWT L-Class heavy lift vessels will feature dual 1,200-tonne cranes and methanol-ready propulsion
Heavy lift shipping and offshore transportation contractor Jumbo has announced the signing of a contract with Dajin Heavy Industry for the construction of two new heavy lift transportation vessels that will form the company’s next-generation L-Class fleet.
The newbuild vessels are designed to support a broad range of heavy lift transportation operations and represent the latest evolution in Jumbo’s fleet development strategy.
Jumbo has developed the energy efficient and methanol ready 25,000 DWT L-Class vessels. Vuyk Engineering was responsible for the design of the vessels together with Jumbo’s in-house design team, including the definition of main dimensions and performance characteristics. Particular attention was given to optimising service speed and fuel efficiency.
This is Jumbo’s regular practice, enabling it to incorporate lessons learned into successive generations of vessels, thereby ensuring continual fleet evolution. The L-Class will each be equipped with two Huisman 1,200-tonne Heavy Lift Cranes, providing a combined lifting capacity of 2,400 tonnes per vessel. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028, followed by the second in 2029.
Designed for flexibility and efficiency, the vessels will feature high deck strength, large open deck area, a substantial cargo capacity, deep cargo hold and advanced lifting performance – Jumbo’s answer to changing market requirements, where increased lifting capacity combined with greater intake is required. Built in compliance with DNV classification standards and modern clean-energy shipping requirements, the L-Class vessels will support operations across Jumbo’s key markets, including offshore wind, oil and gas, mining and any other specialised marine heavy lift requirements.
The vessels will join the JSI Alliance fleet alongside Jumbo’s existing heavy lift vessels. Jumbo’s shipping activities are conducted through the JSI Alliance, the commercial partnership established with SAL in 2021. The alliance expanded further in 2024 with the addition of SAL Intermarine, creating a combined fleet of more than 80 vessels serving the global project cargo, energy, industrial and infrastructure markets.
Peter de Bree, CEO of Jumbo, says: “Fleet development is an exciting time for any shipping company. This project brings new energy to our organisation and will create valuable opportunities for our clients and partners worldwide. I would like to thank the Jumbo team – including colleagues from Commercial, Engineering, Operations, Vessels, Fleet, Legal, Finance, QHSE and Procurement – for their dedication and hard work over the past several years in bringing this project to fruition. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Dajin and building outstanding vessels together.”
Dajin Heavy Industry says: “This contract marks the beginning of a long-term industrial collaboration between our companies, with opportunities to expand into broader cooperation across offshore vessel construction, offshore wind engineering and deep-sea equipment services.”
“We are proud that Jumbo Maritime once again selected Vuyk Engineering for their new vessels. Together with Jumbo Maritime, the focus has been on jointly defining a new vessel series that can both transport and handle heavy cargo offshore, efficiently using its own cranes.” – Floris Toetenel, Director at Vuyk Engineering
