Swiss-based Allseas Group SA, the owner of Pioneering Spirit, the world’s largest crane vessel, has revealed its plans to Reuters of building an even larger construction vessel.
The company is set to pay up to USD 3 billion for the construction of the ship, according to Allseas CEO, Edward Heerema .
The newbuild is planned to be named Amazing Grace and it would be deployed to decommission the world’s largest oil and gas platforms. Amazing Grace would be able to lift large platforms in a single lift and thus contribute to the cutting of decommissioning costs for oil majors, as explained by Heerema.
Details on the potential builder of the ship and start of the construction process were not revealed.
Pioneering Spirit was built by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in 2014.
The twin-hulled vessel features a length of 382 meters and a width of 124 meters. In addition, it has an accommodation space for 571 persons.
The giant catamaran has been employed on installation and removal of decommissioned topsides and jackets of large offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea with a single lift.
The vessel commenced offshore operations in 2016 with the removal of the 13,500 t Yme production unit in the Norwegian North Sea.
In April 2017, Pioneering Spirit achieved a world record during the removal of Shell’s 24,200 t Brent Delta platform topsides with heaviest offshore lift.
Allseas is yet to provide World Maritime News with a comment on the matter.
World Maritime News Staff