Briese Schiffahrt has completed its original 15-vessel LakerMax newbuilding programme after BBC Mainz, the final ship in the series, left the shipyard on 1 October 2026.
All 15 multipurpose vessels are now part of the Briese Schiffahrt fleet and have been chartered to BBC Chartering for international shipping operations.
The LakerMax vessels are 13,000 dwt multipurpose triple-deckers designed for heavy-lift and project cargo transport. Each ship is equipped with two Liebherr LS 250 shipboard cranes with a combined lifting capacity of up to 500 tonnes.
The forward positioning of the bridge and accommodation, together with portside cranes, provides 2,830 sqm of unobstructed weather deck. Two box-shaped cargo holds provide almost 26,000 cbm of cargo capacity, while the main cargo hold can accommodate units up to 104.3 m long and 18.2 m wide.
The vessels are certified for open-hatch operations and were designed for worldwide trading while remaining compatible with the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.
BBC Leer was the first vessel in the 15-ship programme, with its delivery announced in May 2024 from Taizhou Sanfu Heavy Industry. The remaining vessels were subsequently added to the fleet through 2026.
Groot Ship Design was involved in the LakerMax programme from the initial design and tender package through final design and basic engineering, including work covering the 15th vessel, BBC Mainz.
Briese Schiffahrt has also placed firm orders for six additional LakerMax vessels, with options for another six. The six firm vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029.
