The Pieter Schelte has Arrived

Pieter Schelte MbH
On the rainy 8 January 2015, the biggest vessel in the world reached the Port of Rotterdam, coming from the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering shipyard, South Korea. The Pieter Schelte, designed and built by Allseas, sailed the last metres to her temporary resting place at the Prinses Alexiahaven under the watchful eye of many interested in her arrival.

In the summer of 2015 Pieter Schelte will take off for her first decommissioning project for Shell in Norway.

Over the next five months, the 382 metre long and 124 metre wide vessel will be completed at the Maasvlakte 2.

Pieter Schelte 2 MbH

The works consist among others of the instalment of 16 lifting beams, 65 metres long, that, together with the hydraulic claws, will lift and carry the superstructure of an oil or gas platform weighing up to 48,000 tonnes at once. Since decommissioning of the platforms no longer has to take place at sea, time is saved and the chance of any accidents happening during can be reduced, and with it the impact any decommissioning has on the environment.

The building of the vessel cost almost € 2.4 milliard. Around 440 Dutch companies were involved, earning around € 700 million accord- ing to the Port of Rotterdam. Already, Allseas is developing a second, even bigger vessel that according to the plans will be ready in 2020. This 160 metre wide vessel will be able to decommission the biggest platforms in the world’s seas.

Anne Kregting