Three years ago, heavy lift operators Jumbo and SAL entered into an alliance agreement and are now adding a third member, Intermarine, which operates smaller multipurpose vessels in the Americas.
The alliance, scheduled to launch on 1 March 2024, will boast a combined fleet of 50 vessels.
Similar to the Jumbo-SAL alliance, the new alliance will offer unified commercial entry points for sales and marketing through their joint network of offices and agents across 23 countries.
“We’re a sister company to SAL, which means we’ve had some cooperation up to this point. But forming a real commercial joint venture and alliance marks the beginning of a new and greater adventure,” said Intermarine president Richard Seeg.
“We can combine standard multipurpose ships, with mighty heavy lifters, deck carriers and even in some cases bulk vessels – all under our operation and management. I’ve been in bulk, breakbulk and project shipping for over three decades now, and I’ve never seen a commercial solution as comprehensive as this,” added Laurens Govers, Director of Chartering & Projects at Jumbo Shipping
SAL Heavy Lift Managing Director Jens Baumgarten noted that the JSI Alliance’s formation was a natural progression from the closer commercial cooperation with Intermarine.
JSI Alliance will replace Jumbo-SAL-Alliance as the unified marketing platform and brand; however, Jumbo, SAL, and Intermarine will remain independent as operators and owners.
The partners’ fleets include 50 ships, from Intermarine’s smallest 6,000 dwt multipurpose vessels up to Jumbo’s biggest 14,000 dwt heavy lift ship. Crane crane lift capacities range from 80-3,000 tonnes. In addition, SAL has also recently added two semisubmersible float-on/float-off heavy lift ships and a series of ultra-efficient vessels aimed at the wind market.