Rostock (Germany), September 2026 – Patricia Rüf, Member of the administrative board at Liebherr-International AG, has formally christened SAL’s MV Patricia at the Liebherr site in Rostock. The vessel is the third delivered unit in SAL’s Orca Class newbuilding programme and bears the name of her godmother. In accordance with maritime tradition, Patricia Rüf named the vessel and wished her safe voyages, dependable service and lasting success. The ceremony brought together more than 350 guests invited by SAL, including customers, partners and suppliers, alongside representatives of the Harren Group and Liebherr, members of the project teams and the vessel’s officers and crew.
‘When I look at the MV Patricia, I see far more than a vessel ready for service. I see the knowledge, dedication and passion of the many people whose efforts have shaped her journey.’, said Patricia Rüf. ‘The ORCA fleet is a powerful example of what can be achieved when companies share a common vision and the ambition to push boundaries together. I feel a special connection to this vessel and will follow her future way with great interest and pride.’
The christening continues a relationship between SAL and Liebherr that extends back more than 30 years. During the development of the Orca Class, SAL contributed its experience in complex project shipping, while Liebherr worked with the vessel designers on the integration of the cranes, their electrical architecture and control functions.
Designed for demanding project cargo
SAL developed the Orca Class around the requirements of heavy-lift, offshore, renewable-energy and industrial transport. MV Patricia’s multipurpose configuration allows lifting, stowage and voyage plans to be adapted to individual cargoes, from single heavy components to multi-port project shipments.
‘The Orca Class was conceived for the next 30 years of heavy-lift shipping, with the flexibility, efficiency and performance required by our customers’ evolving projects,’ said Dr. Martin Harren, Owner and CEO of the Harren Group. ‘Naming this vessel Patricia reflects the close relationship between our companies and our appreciation for everyone who has supported this ambitious programme.’
Two all-electric Liebherr LS 800 E ship cranes form the vessel’s principal cargo-handling system. Each crane offers a maximum lifting capacity of 800 tonnes. Working together, they can handle loads of up to 1,600 tonnes in tandem operation.
The cranes communicate with the vessel’s power-management system, allowing their energy demand to be coordinated with other onboard consumers. Energy recovered during crane movements can be returned to the ship’s electrical network, stored and reused when demand rises. This architecture is intended to improve the use of available onboard power and reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions during cargo-handling cycles.
Liebherr’s Litronic control system supports precise load movements, while the electrical drives and protected arrangement of key components are configured for maritime operation. Liebherr’s service teams will provide technical support, maintenance planning, diagnostics and spare-parts coordination along the vessel’s trading routes.
A fitting cargo for the next voyage
MV Patricia will leave Rostock carrying two further examples of Liebherr maritime technology. An LHM 800 mobile harbour crane is destined for Luanda, Angola, while an LPS 550 portal crane will be delivered to Casablanca, Morocco.
The voyage brings together three parts of Liebherr’s maritime crane portfolio: the LS 800 E ship cranes installed on board, the mobile harbour crane carried to Luanda and the portal crane bound for Casablanca. It also gives MV Patricia a fitting assignment as she enters service under the name of her godmother.
