Hansa Heavy Lift vessel sails open hatch through the Northern Sea Route to deliver giant cranes

“HHL Valparaiso” is the first vessel to sail open hatch through the Northern Sea Route as it delivers two giant ship-to-shore (STS) cranes from the European to the Far East region of Russia. Hamburg based Hansa Heavy Lift has successfully transported the first-ever ship-to-shore (STS) cranes via the Northern Sea Route (NSR), relocating them from the port of St. Petersburg to the port of Vostochny, spanning both the European and Far East regions of Russia. “HHL Valparaiso” is the first vessel to sail open hatch through the Northern Sea Route, which is covered by thick ice for most of the year and has a limited window of about two months open to cargo voyages. This allowed the two cranes, each weighing 820 metric tonnes and measuring 61 metres in height and 92 metres in width, to be shipped partially above and below deck.