Exploring the Legacy of SAL Heavy Lift: Pioneers in Sea Transport Since 1865

Heavyweight service

With roots dating back as far as 1865, SAL Heavy Lift specialises in sea transport of heavy lift and project cargo, while its offshore subsidiary focuses on developing and delivering installation solutions for the oil and gas and renewables sectors. SAL Heavy Lift operates as a member of the ‘K’ Line Group from eight offices located within Finland, the Netherlands, UK, US, Shanghai, Singapore, Japan and Australia, employing some 670 people. Further to its strong global network of offices, SAL Heavy Lift maintains a fleet of 16 heavy lift vessels that allow the company to offer its clients highly flexible and dependable solutions.

Within the oil and gas market large and heavy components need to be lifted and installed. SAL Heavy Lift represents a key partner with the necessary experience to assist clients from first contact during the project-planning phase through to lift execution and installation. Since the company was previously profiled during October 2014 it has continued to serve clients within the oil and gas sector and completed several complex and technically demanding lift operations. “2015 offered several significant and interesting projects – in the very beginning of the year our Offshore division finished our pre-piling work on the Wikinger Wind Farm in the Baltic Sea with our DP2 vessel MV Lone,” reveals Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication, Christian Hoffmann. “Later in the year our MV Svenja undertook a remarkable job, when she engaged as the main installation platform in Alaska, installing the gas development platform, Kitchens Light Unit 3. The job was undertake general EPC for the entire project by Deutsche Oel & Gas S.A. The project comprised the installation of a huge monopod structure on top of the already drilled wellhead at 1224 tonnes and 45 metres high, piling of the monopod, installation of the topside and helideck and connection to the pre-laid gas pipeline. We were also busy shipping more than 270,000 freight tonnes of heavy equipment for a huge refinery project in Vietnam. So 2015 offered a great deal of heavy shipping business as well as a few significant offshore jobs.”

Throughout all of its operations, SAL Heavy Lift is committed to the highest levels of customer service, as well as the safe and responsible execution of its clients’ heavy lift projects. This dedication to efficient, safe lifting operations remains a cornerstone of the overall service that the business offers its customers. “Our primary corporate focus is safety, indicating our uncompromising attitude towards HSSE,” Christian elaborates. “We know that inside the business segments we operate and with the engineering and energy consortiums we work with, our HSSE offering has to be best in class. We therefore continuously provide safety training of various kinds to the company’s officers and crew, we invest in common training for the crew enabling them to develop greater skill-sets within their job functions, which ultimately also enables greater HSSE performance. Next to this we invest in technologies and IT systems that make our HSSE reporting, tracking and implementation of lessons learned more efficient.”

Its dedication to responsible operation and the provision of expert knowledge enables SAL Heavy Lift to offer a best-in-class service, which is reflected by the company’s continued award of projects, despite the volatile nature of the global oil and gas market, as Christian explains: “Our clients know that we are the best in what we do – we are capable of delivering shipping and installation solutions matched by very few within our segment. It is the combination of high quality vessels, great engineering capabilities, paired with a crew onboard that possess a very deep knowledge in the job at hand. This along with a strong HSSE setup is what gives us a competitive edge. Currently the offshore sector faces significant challenges – the offshore oil and gas market is currently at a stand still in most regions and we see very little business activity. Offshore wind appears to be a market that will enjoy more growth over the coming few years and we naturally hope to position ourselves for a few projects here as well.”

During 2016 and beyond, SAL Heavy Lift will continue to adapt to the needs of its clients, as well as the wider requirements of the global energy market to ensure its position as a market leader within the heavy lifting sector. Although the low cost of oil has resulted in a severe slow-down of operations within the oil market, the company is keen to continue a strategy of investment and of targeting greater efficiency and new opportunities. “We currently perceive greater competition in several of the business areas, in which we operate. This is naturally something that challenges all of us within the heavy lifting industry. On a microscale, SAL Heavy Lift considers newbuilding options, as we still see opportunities in the market for certain types of vessels. But it is something that is done with great care and evaluation. We naturally wants to maintain a strong fleet offering to the market,” Christian concludes. “Over the coming years we will work to maintain a strong standing in an otherwise very difficult shipping market. Our Energy and Infrastructure segments will be focus areas where we believe we can provide strong offerings. We will also hope to develop our offshore installation service further.”

SAL Heavy Lift
Services: Sea transport of heavy lift and project cargoes