Pioneering Spirit

Crane ship Pioneering Spirit, Maasvlakte 2, Rotterdam
History
Name
  • 2014–2015: Pieter Schelte
  • 2015 onwards: Pioneering Spirit
OwnerSociete d'Exploitation Pieter Schelte NV[1]
OperatorAllseas Engineering B.V.
Port of registry
BuilderDaewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co, Geoje
Yard number3401
Launched26 January 2013
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Tonnage403,342 GT[2]
Displacement
  • 365,000 tonnes (transit)[2]
  • 932,000 tonnes (maximum)[3]
  • 1,000,000 tonnes (at maximum draft)[2]
Length
  • 382 m (1,253 ft) (hull) [2]
  • 477 m (1,565 ft) (maximum, including stinger and tilting lifting beams)[2]
Beam124 m (407 ft)[2]
Draft10–27 m (33–89 ft)[2]
Depth30 m (98 ft)[2]
Installed power8 x 11,200 kW MAN Diesel 20V32/44CR diesel generator sets plus one 5040 kW 9L32/44CR generator set [4]
Propulsion12 x Rolls-Royce Diesel-electric azimuth thrusters (each 6,050 kW)[4] 12 x Vulkan RATO R R 321YR Couplings[5]
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)[4]
Capacity
  • 48,000 tonnes (topsides lift capacity)
  • 25,000 tonnes (jacket lift capacity)
  • 2,000 tonnes (pipelay tensioner capacity)
CrewAccommodation for 571[4]

Pioneering Spirit (formerly Pieter Schelte) is a catamaran crane vessel owned by the Switzerland-based Allseas Group designed for the single-lift installation and removal of large oil and gas platforms and the installation of record-weight pipelines.[4][2] The 382-metre-long (1,253 ft), 124-metre-wide (407 ft) vessel is the world's largest vessel by gross tonnage, the heaviest vehicle ever made and since September 2021 also the largest floating sheerleg in the world.[6] It was built in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean) in 2013 at a cost of €2.6 billion. It commenced offshore operations in August 2016.

  1. ^ LR[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Pioneering Spirit". Allseas.com.
  3. ^ Pioneering Spirit (Pieter Schelte). Deltamarin. Retrieved 2016-10-22.
  4. ^ a b c d e Shaw, John (May 2018), "Pioneering Spirit: Profile of the World's Biggest Ship", Ships Monthly: 33–37
  5. ^ Pioneering Spirit Vulkan couplings. November 2015. https://www.vulkan.com/en-us/couplings/Documents/Couplings%20Reference%20Brochure%20Pioneering%20Spirit.pdf
  6. ^ "Pioneering Spirit Gets 20,000-Tonne Floating Sheerlegs System". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 20 February 2022.