b'AJOT: AAL markets, as part of its corporate identification, its relations with partnerships. Can you give us several exam-ples on how AALs powered by partnerships have succeeded, flourished, and paid dividends for both or all partnered partic-ipants?Henrik Hansen: AAL is an advocate for transparency in the supply chainplanning early, open discussion, transparency ofoperationsandlookingforwardatfutureneedsofour customers. Relationships built on trust and collaboration are always the strongest.In advance of the launch of the first of AAL Shippings (AAL) mega sizeTransportation from point A to point B is not just a matter of 32,000 deadweight (DWT) Super B-Class heavy lift vessels, the AALthe execution but also, with mutual agreement with client, to LIMASSOL, the global carrier released a short film highlighting the design and technical innovations and specifications that will make theseek the most economical, safe, and environmentally friendly highly anticipated third generation MPV fleet the most advanced in thesolution. multipurpose cargo sector.We work, and we perform by our motto Powered by Partner-AJOT:Canyoudescribethecorporatecampaignthathasship. Our client base is partners and the tasks presented are to generated two AFLAS awards in a row. In fact, AAL has wonbe overcome and performed by mutual efforts. We do believe it a number of awards in recent years-at least one major proj- is important and beneficial to all parties to include our partners ect cargo global accolade in the last seven years. Are awardsin as many solutions as possible for cargo transportation by something the company purposely seeks and can be leveragedsea, whether smallsemi or full ship loads of drybulk, general, into new customers and traffic? or project cargoes. We are only as good as our partners allow and enable us to be.Henrik Hansen: We do not use awards for business develop-ment purposes, but rather to showcase those aspects of our service and the people that deserve a platformcrew, engi-neering, operations, charteringcolleagues on the front line,AJOT: AAL is no stranger to global expansion and has planted who ensure that the execution of our services are seamless.its familiar heavy lift flag logo in far flung lands with proven Such awards also give us an opportunity to highlight some ofeconomic strength long term. Earlier this year, the company the existing projects that we have worked ona tribute to notcelebrated the 25th anniversary of AAL China with staffs and just our operations, but to all our partners in the supply chain. facilities in Beijing and Qingdao plus a regional headquarters in Singapore and a representative office in Shanghai. Despite the upheavals in Southeast Asia in recent years, what is the outlook for AAL China for 2023/2024 as well as the regions AJOT: Is AAL targeting the elusive and complex US offshoreimports and export?windmarketin2023andbeyondandhowdoyouplanon attacking it? Clearly, you are well positioned with facility andHenrik Hansen: AALs 25 years of own operations in China has staffatthePortofHouston,theUSenergyepicenter.Butseen us establish offices and teams of shipping professionals do you have a strategy beyond that for cracking US offshorein Beijing and Qingdao, apart from our regional HQ in Shanghai. opportunities such as facility expansions for renewable energyThis development has coincided with the countrys economic and can you be specific? rise. From the start of its period of reform and opening in 1978 until 2019, China saw an average annual growth of 9.5%, Henrik Hansen: The launch of the Super B-Class is a manifes- almost doubling the size of its economy every eight years and tation of our intensions to actively pursue and participate inbecoming the second-largest economy in the world in 2011. the US offshore wind market as it finally comes alive.With the world economy so dependent upon geo-political sta-AAL has a history and track record in the global onshore windbility, China faces challenges in depending solely on exports in market, and we want to maintain and boost this to also include2023. As a result, Chinas Central Economic Work Conference the offshore market. Houston is an if not the energy epicen- has emphasised the need to increase domestic demand, boost tre for North America, but more so with focus on fossil fuelmarket confidence, shore up its export partner relationships, and less on renewables. Renewables, no doubt, is the future toand stabilise employment, growth, and prices. In 2023, insti-save our planet but we must also be realistic and accept thetutional and market economists have varied forecasts for the fact of the incubation, acceptance, and transformation time.size and timing of the Chinese economic rebound, but there is While constructing the Super B Class, which by far was a prod- a very clear pattern. The Chinese National Peoples Congress uct and a result of our very skilled engineering departmentrecently set a 5% economic growth target for this year, close to with more than 30 years track record in the renewable sector,the 5.2% predicted by Morgan Stanley, 5.2% by PwC, 4.9% by we also consulted the market leaders for their input on futureBloomberg, 4.9% by JP Morgan and 4.5% by the IMF. Chinas needs and requirements. We believe the Super B Class to be atrade surplus also grew to US$877.6 billion in 2022, with an welcome and competitive tool moving forward in the renew- increase in both exports and imports. able sector. Back to Contents THE UNCONTAINED 17'