World's largest lift vessel to visit India on maiden voyage

The innovative vessel, which was built in six months by German-based Sietas shipyard and commissioned by Schiffahrtskontor Altes Land(SAL) is eyeing services from major infrastructure players like Larsen and Tourbo in India.

"The vessel, built at the cost of 60 million euros, is jointly financed by SAL, HSH Nordbank and the City of Hamburg. The offshore energy sector– including oil, gas and wind – will be one of the core segments of employment for this highly specialized vessel," said co-owner SAL (rpt) SAL Svenja Heinrich in a statement.

With rapid growth of the Indian economy, the need for infrastructural development has also risen, Heinrich said adding, "Companies such as Larsen & Toubro, Godrej & Boyce, Thermax and ISGEC to name a few, are constructing massive equipment mainly for energy generation, not only for the domestic but also for the international market.

SAL, a joint venture between Heinrich and Rolner, and Japan’s K Line Group, ranks among the world’s leading heavy lift shipping companies.

Sai Maritime & Management Ltd that represents SAL in India said it was hopeful of providing better services to clients.

"We are proud to be associated with SAL, a first class German Shipping company which offers unmatched service, timely schedules and state-of-the-art engineering on board their vessels, said Rukhsana Vohra, Managing Director, Sai Maritime.