The pipe-laying vessel, which will be undergoing heavy maintenance and adjustments in Amsterdam, will be used for the construction of natural gas pipeline systems and oil pipelines. Owned by Swiss/Dutch offshore pipe-laying and subsea construction company Allseas, the ship arrived in the port today and is currently moored in the USA Terminal/Dutch Offshore Base in the Amerikahaven port.
When Conquest Offshore BV chose the Port of Amsterdam as its home port for the 1,400-tonne crane vessel Conquest MB1, this marked an important step in the port’s strategy of accommodating more companies operating in the offshore industry. Amsterdam’s central and strategic location (including to Schiphol Airport), its non-tidal port and its goal of expanding its services to the offshore industry were all factors in the construction of the large terminal operated by the Ter Haak Group.
Michiel Zwagerman, owner-director of Dutch Offshore Base: ‘Given the presence of the crane ship the MB1 here in the port, it only made sense for us to offer Allseas to have the adjustments and construction carried out here as well. We have the knowhow and experience here in the port, and – which may be even more important – a can-do attitude. You really need that when you’re trying to facilitate the passage of a 397-metre ship through a 400-metre-long lock. A challenge which shows you have great reserves of confidence.’
Richard ter Haak: ‘The arrival of the Solitaire is beneficial to the Port of Amsterdam and a milestone for Amsterdam’s offshore operations. In taking on this challenge, we are demonstrating our capacity in this area both here in the Netherlands and internationally. We have really expanded our services with this project, and now other companies operating in the offshore industry will also start considering Port of Amsterdam as an option.’
Port of Amsterdam’s Chief Operations Officer Koen Overtoom: ‘We are very proud of the arrival of the Solitaire, as it is sure to be a great boost for the offshore operations in our port and will also create more jobs in the area. The guts, vision and sense of enterprise of our local companies have paved the way for the arrival of the Solitaire, which will be a great asset to the Port of
Amsterdam, the city itself, and the region as a whole.’ The pipes will be deburred, coated, aligned and welded together on board, after
a stinger and will trench them on the sea bottom. The 420-crew ship can carry up to around 22,000 tonnes of pipelines and installs 9 kilometres of pipeline at a maximum depth of 2.7 kilometres every 24 hours.
The ship is scheduled to return to sea in summer 2016.