AAL Shipping has completed the loading of 13 newly built 2,900-tonne mineral barges for LHG Mining aboard the 32,000dwt Super B-Class vessel AAL Antwerp. The shipment is part of a collaboration between Enseada Shipyard and Tenenge—both within the Novonor Group—linked to the restart of shipbuilding activity in Brazil’s state of Bahia.
In January, Enseada Shipyard in Maragogipe (Bahia) held a ceremony to mark the handover of the first barges built at the facility in nearly six years. Attendees included Bahia Governor Jeronimo Rodrigues, Senator Jacques Wagner, and senior state officials.
The barges carried by AAL Antwerp will be added to LHG Mining’s fleet and will operate on the Paraguay–Paraná waterway. With a maximum intake of 3,200 t, they are intended to transport iron ore from the company’s operations in Mato Grosso do Sul to its export terminal in Nueva Palmira.
Pablo Zengarini, International Logistics Specialist at LHG Mining, said the program is a strategic logistics investment and that safe shipment of each barge is a critical step in adding transport capacity, requiring coordination across shipyard work, river logistics, and ocean transport.
Following its return to full operation in 2025, Enseada Shipyard reported the project has generated 600 direct jobs and up to 900 indirect jobs in Bahia. Around 80 barges are planned to be built at the yard. AAL Shipping said its Super B-Class fleet, supported by engineering and operational expertise, will facilitate further barge movements over the next year. The first shipment in the series was completed in November 2025 by AAL Hamburg.
Eugene Nutovych, Senior Chartering Manager at AAL Americas, said the sailings reflect the engineering and project execution required for complex industrial logistics and noted the company’s support as shipbuilding activity gains momentum and LHG Mining strengthens its river-and-sea export chain.
