Chipolbrok’s new generation of multipurpose heavy-lift vessels has entered construction. Steel cutting for TK2601, the first vessel in its six-ship, 60,800 dwt programme, took place at Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding on 28 September 2026. Representatives of Chipolbrok, the shipyard and classification society DNV attended the ceremony.

The milestone moves the programme from contract signing to physical construction. Chipolbrok ordered four vessels from Taizhou Sanfu Shipbuilding in December 2025 and another two from Taizhou Kouan in January 2026. Together, the six ships represent 364,800 dwt of planned capacity.

A design built around deck cargo

The new vessels place the bridge and accommodation forward, leaving a longer, more continuous working deck behind them. Compared with Chipolbrok’s existing 62,000 dwt aft-accommodation heavy-lift design, the arrangement adds approximately 360 square metres of deck storage space, according to the company’s previously released specifications.

Each ship will measure 199.90 metres in length and 32.26 metres in breadth. Three 200-tonne cranes will provide a maximum tandem lifting capacity of 400 tonnes. The combination of open deck space and onboard lifting capacity is intended to support shipments such as wind components, transformers and large port equipment, particularly where cargo dimensions make stowage as important as weight.

An open-hatch option for overheight cargo

Chipolbrok’s latest project material provides further detail on the cargo holds. The hatch covers on the second hold can be removed to create an open hatch, while drainage arrangements allow the hold to accommodate equipment extending above the usual hold height. The vessels will also have a stronger exposed deck and adjustable arrangements within the holds to suit cargoes of different sizes.

That flexibility matters in project shipping, where a vessel may need to carry long wind components on one voyage and a different mix of machinery, containerised equipment or heavy units on the next. The forward-accommodation layout creates room on deck; the hold arrangement broadens the range of cargo that can be stowed below it.

Deliveries planned from September 2027

Chipolbrok’s latest schedule calls for construction to begin on all six vessels by the end of May 2027, with deliveries starting in September of that year. TK2601 is the first to reach the steel-cutting stage.

The programme’s commercial value will become clearer once the vessels enter service. Their design gives Chipolbrok more ways to combine heavy lifts, out-of-gauge cargo and deck-stowed equipment on the same ship. The next measures will be construction progress, delivery timing and how effectively that flexibility translates into loaded voyages.