AAL Shipping has completed its first call at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, delivering wind turbine components for the 50MW HayWind Mannar Wind Farm.
The cargo was transported from China on two sailings by the 19,000-dwt S-Class vessels AAL Bangkok and AAL Nanjing. The shipments totalled 64,000 FRT and covered equipment for ten 5MW wind turbines.
Each turbine is 100 m high. The cargo included towers, blades, nacelles, hubs and related equipment required for the project.
The transport was secured through cooperation between AAL Shipping’s Middle East operation and its Chief Representative in India. All ten turbines had been delivered by July 2026, while the project is scheduled for grid connection in March 2027.
The two discharge operations at Trincomalee were carried out during monsoon conditions. The shipments marked AAL Shipping’s first project cargo calls at the Sri Lankan port.
HayWind Mannar Wind Farm represents Sri Lanka’s largest private investment in wind power to date, according to the information provided by AAL Shipping. Once operational, the facility is expected to cut carbon emissions by approximately 186,000 tonnes annually.
Sri Lanka has set a target for renewable energy to account for 70 percent of electricity generation by 2030 and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Karim Smaili, General Manager Middle East at AAL Shipping, said the operation showed that project cargo could be delivered directly to destinations beyond the carrier’s established routes.
Vinay Agarwal, Commercial Representative India at AAL Shipping, said the Trincomalee shipments involved the company’s vessels and project handling teams in supporting cargo delivery to a new destination.
