What BigLift Shipping does

BigLift Shipping B.V. is a Netherlands-headquartered heavy lift shipping company founded in 1973 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Spliethoff Group. The company specializes in worldwide ocean transportation of roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro), heavy lift, and project cargoes for enterprise clients in mining, energy, petrochemical, offshore, port development, and renewables markets. Its modern fleet comprises 4 heavy transport vessels (MC-Class module carriers BigLift Barentsz and BigLift Baffin with DP2 positioning and Finnish Swedish 1A Ice class; CY-Class shallow-draft carriers CY Interocean I and CY Interocean II commercially operated under partnership with Chung Yang Shipping) and 20 heavy lift vessels (including Happy Star with two Huisman mast cranes combinable to 2,200 mt lifting capacity, Happy Sky, Happy Buccaneer with twin 700 mt cranes, Happy R-type and D-type vessels with AHC capability, and Spliethoff P-type vessels). Ro-ro cargo capability extends to approximately 16,000 mt per piece.

Beyond vessel operations, BigLift delivers in-house engineering services covering project engineering, structural engineering (FEM studies, grillage and seafastening design), hydrodynamics (motion response analyses, mooring studies, station keeping), and stability calculations, supported by 2D and 3D CAD systems. Proprietary operational technology includes the OCTOPUS on-board monitoring system for real-time route, speed, fuel, and seafastening surveillance, and SCANTROL Active Heave Compensation on Happy-D vessels. The company maintains a 14+ office global footprint covering Europe, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East to support direct enterprise engagement.

The business model is project-based: revenue is generated through custom-quoted vessel charters, freight contracts, and engineered transport solutions negotiated directly with enterprise clients, with no public or tiered pricing. Multi-year contracts and close engineering integration from conceptual design through execution create stickiness with major clients such as Dangote, Rio Tinto, BHP, GE Power, Van Oord, Subsea 7, TechnipFMC, Bechtel, and Sakhalin Energy. The company operates the Safe Sailings safety program (launched September 2017) and adheres to strict QHSE standards, with ISO 27000 information security inherited from the Spliethoff Group parent.

Name

BigLift Shipping

Legal name

BigLift Shipping B.V.

Website

https://bigliftshipping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BigLift Shipping is a 1973-founded Netherlands heavy lift shipping company (Spliethoff Group subsidiary) operating 24 specialized vessels globally, serving mining, energy, offshore, and renewables clients with engineered ocean transport and in-house project engineering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Lift Shipping

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Heavy Lift / Breakbulk & RoRo Project Shipping (TLADAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heavy Machinery & Oversized Equipment (Cranes, Excavators, Presses) (TLACAIAH), Energy & Power Projects (Oil & Gas, Renewables, Power Generation) (TLACAIAB), Engineering, Lift Planning & Method Statements (Rigging/Crane Plans) (TLACAIAL), Site Delivery, Installation Support & On-Site Supervision (Door-to-Site) (TLACAIAM), High & Heavy / Project Ro-Ro Handling (Construction, Mining & Oversize Equipment) (TLAHACAI), Heavy Lift & Marine Recovery (Cranes, Barges, Jack-up Support) (TLAHAIAF)

Keywords

• Heavy lift shipping
• Project cargo transport
• Ocean freight services
• Ro-ro shipping
• Offshore vessel charter

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Heavy Lift Shipping Services: Ocean transportation of ro-ro, heavy lift and project cargoes for mining, energy, petrochemical and port development industries. Revenue generated through vessel charters, freight contracts, and project-based shipping agreements.
2. Engineered Transport Solutions: Custom engineering services for cargo preparation and execution of heavy transport projects, provided in close cooperation with clients and marine warranty surveyors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BigLift Shipping provides worldwide ocean transportation of ro-ro, heavy lift, and project cargoes using a modern fleet of specialized vessels with lifting capacities up to 2,200 mt and ro-ro capability up to 16,000 mt. The company supplements its shipping operations with in-house engineering services covering project engineering, structural engineering, hydrodynamics, and stability calculations, as well as dedicated emergency response and salvage assistance. Founded in 1973, BigLift operates as the heavy lift and project cargo division within the Spliethoff Group.

Product overview

BigLift Shipping is a heavy lift shipping company offering worldwide ocean transportation of ro-ro, heavy lift and project cargoes. The company operates a modern fleet consisting of 4 heavy transport vessels (MC-Class and CY-Class with ro-ro capability up to 16,000 mt) and 20 heavy lift vessels (including Happy Star, Happy Sky, Happy Buccaneer, Happy R-type, Happy D-type, and Spliethoff P-type) with lifting capacities up to 2,200 mt. In addition to core shipping services, BigLift provides comprehensive engineering services (project engineering, structural engineering, hydrodynamics, stability analysis) and specialized emergency response assistance. The company also operates the Safe Sailings safety awareness programme. All vessels are operated in close cooperation between Spliethoff and BigLift Shipping, with access to over 50 multipurpose vessels from sister company Spliethoff for large project cargo volumes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heavy Lift Shipping Services Worldwide ocean transportation of ro-ro, heavy lift, and project cargoes for mining, energy, petrochemical, port development, renewables, and offshore clients. The service is delivered using a modern fleet of 4 heavy transport vessels (up to 16,000 mt ro-ro) and 20 heavy lift vessels (up to 2,200 mt combined lifting capacity), with options for roll-on/roll-off and lift-on/lift-off operations.
• Engineering Services Full in-house engineering services for the preparation and execution of heavy transport and heavy lift projects, including project engineering, structural engineering (FEM studies), hydrodynamics (motion response analyses, mooring studies, station keeping), and stability calculations. Plans for stowage, lifting, load spreading, and seafastening are prepared using 2D and 3D CAD systems, delivered in close cooperation with clients and marine warranty surveyors.
• Emergency Response Assistance Specialized emergency response services for the salvage industry, including offshore cargo lightering operations, wreck removal, and emergency lifting operations. Performed using specialized vessels equipped with shallow draft capability and side-mounted cranes, including tandem lift capability (e.g., 600+ hour non-stop tandem lift for Vila do Conde operation).

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully transported 1,542 mt continuous ship unloader (heaviest ever shipped by Happy Star)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chung Yang ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Beginning of 2019, BigLift Shipping and Chung Yang Shipping agreed to cooperate in heavy transport shipping. BigLift Shipping commercially operates four heavy transport vessels (BigLift Barentsz, BigLift Baffin, CY Interocean I, CY Interocean II). The combined fleet meets future demands in LNG, Oil and Gas and renewable markets, adhering to highest QHSE standards.
• Jumbo ShippingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2015BigLift and Jumbo Shipping joined forces to form Jumbo BigLift Projects for the Sasol project, transporting 88 modules from Asia to Lake Charles, LA. Both companies share similar engineering and operating approaches and combined their QHSE, engineering and operational resources for successful project execution.
• Spliethoff GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBigLift Shipping is a member of the Spliethoff Group of companies. Within the group, BigLift handles all heavy, over-sized and special cargoes while working closely with sister company Spliethoff, which provides over 50 multipurpose vessels for large project cargo volumes.
• Sevenstar Yacht TransportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company Sevenstar Yacht Transport specializes in yacht transport. Occasionally combined with BigLift for projects where both yacht and heavy cargo transportation meet, such as minesweeper transport.
• Foster Wheeler / BP North AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFor the BP Whiting Refinery Modernisation Project, Foster Wheeler contracted BigLift for Phase 2 transportation of 59 preassembled refinery modules, demonstrating long-standing client relationships.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mammoet: Mammoet is the global leader in engineered heavy lifting and transport on land and via ports, often acting as the onshore counterparty to BigLift's ocean work. Mammoet frequently interfaces with BigLift at the quayside for project cargo, making it a comparable partner-and-competitor at the boundary of maritime and land-based heavylift.
• ZPMC: ZPMC is the world's largest port crane manufacturer and increasingly provides integrated heavy-lift transportation, installation, and commissioning services for its own mega-cranes and other port equipment. It represents both a customer and a partial competitor in the port development segment where BigLift also operates.
• Boskalis (Dockwise): Boskalis, through Dockwise, owns and operates a fleet of semi-submersible heavy transport ships and competes in the ultra-heavy and offshore installation segment. While broader in scope (dredging, offshore energy), its Dockwise subsidiary is directly comparable to BigLift's MC-Class on mega-module and FPSO transportation.

Direct peers

• BBC Chartering: BBC Chartering, part of the German Briese Group, is one of the largest operators of multipurpose and heavy-lift tonnage worldwide. It provides project and breakbulk ocean transport for industrial clients in mining, power, and oil & gas, directly competing with BigLift on smaller and mid-sized project cargoes as well as on volume-driven contracts.
• COSCO Shipping Heavy Lift: COSCO Shipping's heavy lift division operates one of the largest fleets of multipurpose heavy-lift vessels globally and competes for similar mining, energy, and infrastructure project cargo tenders. It is a state-backed, scale-heavy incumbent that often competes head-to-head with BigLift on price-sensitive mega-project shipments.
• Hansa Heavy Lift: Hansa Heavy Lift (part of the ENTRADE Group) operates a global fleet of heavy-lift, project cargo and breakbulk vessels competing for similar tenders in mining, energy and renewables markets. It is a focused niche player with comparable vessel classes to BigLift's Happy series.
• SAL Heavy Lift: SAL Heavy Lift operates a modern fleet of heavy-lift vessels with combined lift capacities up to 1,800 mt, serving offshore wind, oil & gas, and infrastructure clients. Its vessel designs and engineering-led approach closely mirror BigLift's offering, making it a direct specialist competitor, particularly in the offshore wind and offshore installation segments.
• Jumbo Shipping: Jumbo is a Dutch-headquartered heavy lift and project cargo specialist operating a fleet of heavy-lift and semi-submersible vessels, with a similar engineering-led, EPC-client go-to-market. Jumbo and BigLift have actually joint-ventured (Jumbo BigLift Projects on the Sasol job), underscoring how directly comparable their offerings are in the market for oversized, engineered ocean transportation.

Others

• Spliethoff: Spliethoff is the parent group's multipurpose and project cargo sister company operating a fleet of 50+ P-type vessels for project and breakbulk tonnage. While it shares ownership with BigLift and jointly operates P-type vessels, it is a distinct selling entity and a structural adjacency given the shared customer base and go-to-market.
• SCANTROL: SCANTROL is a Norwegian supplier of Active Heave Compensation (AHC) systems installed on BigLift's Happy-D type vessels. It is an enabling technology partner rather than a competitor, but it is included to highlight the vendor ecosystem that supports BigLift's premium heavy-lift installation capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BigliftShipping
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biglift-shipping-b-v-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BigLift Shipping