SAL Heavy Lift announced a further expansion of its deck carrier fleet. The German heavy lift and engineering specialist has acquired two semi-submersible deck carriers, MV Sun Shine and MV Sun Rise, from former owner Pan Ocean (Korea). Both vessels are scheduled for delivery in Europe between October 2025 and April 2026 and will be commercially operated as part of the JSI Alliance.
This step follows SAL Heavy Lift’s successful long-term charter of the semi-submersible deck carriers MV Zhong Ren 121 and MV Zhong Ren 122 in 2023. With the new acquisitions, SAL is doubling its capacity in this specialised segment.
“We’ve listened closely to our clients during the operation of the Zhong Ren vessels and recognised a growing demand for additional tonnage and greater operational flexibility,” says Matthieu Moerman, Director Renewables & Offshore at the JSI Alliance. “With four vessels now in this segment, we can offer our clients even more robust services and tailored solutions for large-scale and complex projects. Notably, MV Sun Shine is among the few deck carriers worldwide built outside China, giving us greater flexibility regarding tariffs and trade regulations.”
Dr Martin Harren, CEO of the Harren Group and SAL Heavy Lift, elaborates on the strategic intent behind the fleet expansion: “These two vessels are of significant importance to our group. They enable us to broaden our service spectrum – from smaller MPP vessels with lifting capacities of 300 t and 7,700 DWT to large semi-submersible deck carriers with almost 25,000 DWT. This puts us in a position to cover the entire scope of the MPP and heavy lift sector and to provide our clients with the right tonnage from the most capable fleet in the world.”
SAL Heavy Lift is not only strengthening its fleet in the deck carrier segment: to meet the growing demand in this highly specialised market, the company will also expand its sales, engineering, and operations teams in Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Singapore.