Allseas mega-vessel, the Pieter Schelte, is to be completed in the port of Rotterdam.
Owner and designer Allseas and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have signed an agreement for the Pieter Schelte to arrive in Rotterdam, from Korea, where it is being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, at the end of 2014.
The vessel is 382m-long and 124m-wide. Its length, combined with its massive width, makes the vessel unique. It has been designed for installing and removing offshore oil and gas platform topsides and jackets in single lifts.
The firm has already inked a number of contracts, including a deal with Shell to remove the North Sea Brent field platform topsides. Read more: Allseas to do Brent removals
At the bow of the vessel is a slot, where topsides are lifted. The vessel is also equipped for laying large pipelines and, with her capacity, will be the largest pipelay vessel as well. The vessel can lift topsides of offshore platforms weighing up to 48,000-tonne and jackets up to 25,000-tonne.
Read an in depth feature on the Pieter Schelte: Mega projects on the Horizon
Final assembly of the Pieter Schelte will take place in the Alexiahaven. The inner lake of Maasvlakte 2 currently provides the necessary space. A special pit will be dredged there for the vessel.
In the port of Rotterdam, the 65m-long long beams of the topsides lift system will be installed. The lifting beams are being constructed in Italy and will be transported by ship to the Netherlands.
"The construction of Pieter Schelte means a great boost for the maritime industry. We’re proud that Allseas is responsible for this innovation and pleased that the port of Rotterdam can make a contribution. It’s in line with the Port Authority’s endeavour to develop the port further as a centre of the global maritime industry," says Allard Castelein, Chief Executive of the Port Authority.
Allseas has already announced a design for a new, larger vessel. Read more: Allseas tops Pieter Schelte
Read more about the heavy lift market: Heavy lifting gets versatile
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