VESSEL REVIEW | CY Frontier – Versatile heavy transporter to serve offshore and industrial customers

Netherlands-based BigLift Shipping and South Korea's Chung Yang Shipping (CY Shipping) have taken delivery of the first unit in a new series of heavy lift vessels.

CY Frontier was built by Jing Jiang Nanyang Shipbuilding of China. BigLift said the vessel and her sisters have been designed to meet the growing demand for the transportation of increasingly large offshore, energy and industrial modules.

Construction of the remaining three vessels is progressing according to schedule. The partners expect BigLift Pioneer, the second vessel in the series, will be delivered later this year. By the middle of 2028, CY Shipping and BigLift Shipping will operate a joint fleet of eight heavy lift vessels.

Can employ different loading/unloading methods for greater flexibility

CY Frontier has a length of 180 metres (590 feet), a beam of 43 metres (140 feet), and a fully unobstructed cargo deck measuring 43 by 140 metres (140 by 460 feet) and providing a total area of 6,020 square metres (64,800 square feet).

Cargo can be loaded and discharged over both the stern and the side using Ro-Ro and skidding methods.

Able to seamlessly integrate with existing heavy lift fleet

BigLift said that, with a deadweight of 25,000, a ballast system capable of handling 12,000 cubic metres (2.6 million gallons) per hour and advanced tidal compensation capabilities, the vessel is ideally suited for heavy transport and module installation projects.

Thanks to similar frame spacing, depth, ballast systems, and tidal compensation capabilities, the new vessel will be fully interchangeable with BigLift’s existing heavy load carriers BigLift Barentsz and BigLift Baffin while offering extended deck length and enhanced stern loading functionality. BigLift said this will expand the range of projects that can be executed and will provide customers with even greater flexibility.

Johan Boer, Managing Director of BigLift, remarked that by combining the proven capabilities of the company’s existing vessels with increased cargo capacity, enhanced flexibility and improved operational efficiency, CY Frontier and her sisters will enable BigLift to support increasingly complex transport projects around the world.