Pioneering Spirit

Summary

Pioneering Spirit is a 2013-built split-hull heavy-lift crane vessel (403,342 GT), the largest ship in the world by GT. Owned by Swiss offshore contractor Allseas Group and Malta-flagged. Formerly named Pieter Schelte after the founder's father — renamed under public pressure before delivery due to the elder Schelte's controversial WWII record. Her twin 122-m slots straddle offshore oil-and-gas platforms for single-lift installation or decommissioning (up to 48,000 tonnes topside; 25,000 tonnes jacket). Also fits a 2,000-m pipe-lay stinger. Notable projects: 2017 removal of the Brent Delta topsides (24,000 t) in a single lift.

Crew perspective

Pioneering Spirit is offshore's most sought-after posting for deck-and-engineering ratings: the vessel operates on 4-week rotations with 300+ persons onboard during heavy-lift campaigns, and roles range from routine ship-handling to platform-decom-specific rigging. STCW certification alone doesn't qualify — Allseas runs a proprietary lift-plan qualification for bridge officers.

Notable incidents

• 2017 Brent Delta decommissioning: single-lift 24,200-tonne topsides removal (largest offshore lift ever)

Sister ships

Amazing Grace (in build)