SAL Heavy Lift expands fleet

The MV Sun Shine and MV Sun Rise were bought from Korean company Pan Ocean and are scheduled for delivery in Europe between October 2025 and April 2026.

Following the successful charter of MV Zhong Ren 121 and MV Zhong Ren 122 in 2023, this move doubles SAL’s capacity in the semi-submersible segment and reinforces its position within the JSI Alliance.

“We’ve listened closely to our clients and recognised a growing demand for additional tonnage and greater operational flexibility,” said Matthieu Moerman, director Renewables & Offshore at the JSI Alliance.

“With four vessels now in this segment, we can offer our clients more robust services and tailored solutions.”

The newly acquired ships will be renamed MV Luisa (formerly Sun Shine) and MV Alma (formerly Sun Rise), in tribute to the daughters of Harren Group colleagues. These vessels feature impressive capabilities including semi-submersible decks, high uniform deck strength and global operational readiness.

“These two vessels are of significant importance to our group,” said Dr Martin Harren, chief executive of SAL Heavy Lift and the Harren Group.

“They allow us to broaden our service spectrum from 7,700 DWT vessels to almost 25,000 DWT carriers, ensuring we have the right tonnage for every job.”

To support this expansion, SAL says it will also grow its sales, engineering and operations teams in Hamburg, Rotterdam and Singapore in response to rising demand in the global heavy-lift market.