Intermarine Takes Delivery of First of New Class of Multipurpose Heavy-Lift Ships

On Aug. 24, Intermarine announced that it has begun receiving its next generation of multipurpose heavy-lift carriers. The ocean carrier has taken delivery of its first "F Class" ship, the M/V Industrial Freedom.

A total of four F-Class vessels are being built in China. Each 14,100-dwt heavy-lift ship has two 400-metric-ton cranes that can combine for 800-ton lifts as well as one 80-ton standard crane. The vessels feature a house-forward design to provide greater flexibility in handling large modules or stacking several tiers of lightweight cargo. They can accommodate a total of 985 TEUs: 598 in the hold and 387 on deck. The remaining three ships in the class are named Industrial Fighter, Industrial Force, and Industrial Faith.

Andre Grikitis, president of Intermarine, commented on the carrier's expansion program, saying, “Although the shipping industry worldwide is in a bit of a recession, we see continued growth in the project sector, which will demand modern tonnage to meet transport requirements and schedules. The size of reactors, fractionators, and cracking towers at refineries and chemical plants are getting bigger, and these new ships will have greater cargo intake while retaining the shallow draft capability that allows us to service smaller ports and undeveloped areas.”