In 2001, SAL took an important step in its international development by establishing its first overseas representative office in Shanghai. What began with a small local presence has since evolved into the Harren Group’s fully integrated branch across Greater China – bringing together commercial, operational and engineering expertise and serving customers across a broad range of industries.
Today, 25 years later, SAL China looks back on a journey shaped by continuous development, challenging projects and, above all, strong relationships with customers and partners throughout the region.
From Shanghai to an integrated regional hub
The establishment of the Shanghai office marked the beginning of SAL’s international expansion. Over the following years, the local organisation steadily strengthened its capabilities.
The chartering desk was expanded, and in 2007 the Far East–Persian Gulf service was introduced. By bringing chartering, operations and engineering expertise together, the team was increasingly able to provide customers with comprehensive heavy lift and ocean transport solutions directly from the region.
Another important milestone followed in 2011, when SAL established its Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in China, further strengthening the company’s long-term commitment to the market.
Over time, the scope of activities continued to grow beyond traditional heavy lift and project cargo. Today, the team supports a diverse portfolio encompassing multipurpose shipping and semi-submersible transport solutions as part of the wider Harren Group and JSI Alliance network.
25 years of challenging projects
The development of SAL China has been accompanied by numerous complex transport projects connecting Chinese industry with destinations around the world.
Early milestones included the shipment of a shiploader to Brazil and caissons to Australia. Further projects followed for the petrochemical and power sectors, including the Gutian petrochemical project and transport programmes for power plant projects in India and the Tianwan nuclear power project.
The team subsequently contributed to major international developments including the Atyrau and Formosa Texas refinery projects as well as the long-running ITER project.
Other memorable transports have ranged from ten 380-tonne tugs shipped from China to Venezuela aboard MV Lone to major bridge components destined for projects in the Maldives, Norway and Germany.
As the global energy landscape evolved, so did SAL China. From 2020 onwards, renewable energy became an increasingly important part of the portfolio, with transport programmes for monopiles and wind turbine components supporting offshore and onshore wind developments in Vietnam and beyond.
Building the next chapter
The integration of JSI China into the Harren Group marked another step in expanding the range of transport solutions available to customers in the region.
Recent years have also brought new milestones. MV Imke, for example, transported CSSC’s first self-developed ship unloader from China to South Africa. At the same time, the arrival of SAL’s new Orca-class vessels is opening further opportunities for complex heavy lift and project cargo transportation. Following MV Elise in 2025, MV Frida, MV Patricia and MV Carlotta joined the fleet in 2026.
With an increasingly diverse fleet, an established local team and access to the combined capabilities of the Harren Group and JSI Alliance, SAL China is well positioned for its next chapter.
Twenty-five years of trust
The 25th anniversary represents more than the growth of an office. It reflects the Harren Group’s long-term commitment to China and the relationships built with customers, partners and colleagues over more than two decades.
From a single representative office in Shanghai to an integrated regional organisation, one element has remained constant: the people behind the projects.
A sincere thank you goes to all colleagues, customers and partners who have contributed to this journey.
Twenty-five years of trust. Twenty-five years of delivery. And the next chapter is only just beginning.