In 2011, Allseas announced that they had awarded Daewoo Shipbuilding a 1.3Bn Euro contract for the construction of a massive catamaran designed for ultra-heavy offshore construction and pipelay work. The sheer amount of steel and specialized equipment needed appears to be driving this project ahead at a snail’s pace. Allseas hasn’t published a status update in over 18 months and hasn’t returned any of our emails, but from what we can tell, this project is still rolling forward.

At 1253 feet (382m) in length, and 384 feet (117m) at the beam, this massive ship will have a footprint twice as large as the Emma Maersk. Eight diesel generators will provide 95MW of power to 12 azimuth-mounted thrusters and for all operational needs.

This ship was uniquely designed with the ability to deconstruct aging offshore oil production structures, particularly those found in the North Sea, as well as for high capacity pipelay operations.

On the bow of the Pieter Schelte is a unique system that allows her to latch on to a topsides structure and conduct a 48,000 ton maximum lift to separate this structure from the supports below that reach down to the sea floor. To put this in perspective, 48,000 tons is about 5 times as heavy as a Ticonderoga-class Cruiser.

Once the topsides removal is complete, the ship will then turn 180 degrees and a powerful array of high capacity cantilever cranes will lift the steel “jacket” truss off the bottom and lay it flat on the aft deck. This system will have the capacity to lift even the largest steel structures in the North Sea, the location of her primary mission once commissioned in 2013.

As a dynamically-positioned pipelay vessel, the Pieter Schelte will have a 2,000 ton tension capacity, twice that of the Allseas Solitaire, the current world record holder for pipelay capacity. She will have the capacity to lay concrete-coated steel trunklines nearly 6 feet in diameter from her stern.

Video Flyby Of The Pieter Schelte

Decommissioning An Oil Platform

Pieter Schelte Decommissioning of an oil rig

For more videos of the Pieter Schelte visit Allseas’ movie gallery. To view other offshore behemoths visit gCaptain’s Heavy Lift section.