Pieter Schelte is a planned platform installation/ decommissioning and pipelay vessel for the Allseas

Allseas

Allseas Group SA is one of the largest offshore pipelay companies with 2000 employees. The company is privately owned by founder Edward Heerema....

 company, which when built will be the world's biggest. Allseas says the conceptual design of Pieter Schelte and the basic design of the novel twin hulls has been completed by Swan Hunter

Swan Hunter

Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...

 in Newcastle-upon-tyne, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The basic design of the lifting systems will be completed by the end of 2008. Offers from yards are under assessment with a Far Eastern yard handling the main construction with final completion in Europe. Main diesel power will be nine MAN 11,2 MW engines with 12 Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce plc

Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...

 5.5 MW thrusters.The vessel was designed by engineering company Deltamarin.

Progress

Long-lead items, such as the power generation equipment and the thrusters, were ordered in March 2007. In June 2008 the high-tensile steel for the jacket and topsides lift systems were ordered. Allseas¹ has committed to build the Pieter Schelte at a cost of US$1.7 billion. It will be 382 metres (1,253 ft) long and 117 m (384 ft) wide.

Naming Controversy

The ship is named after marine engineer Pieter Schelte Heerema, father of Allseas' owner Edward Heerema. This has created a controversy due to Pieter Schelte Heerema's service in the Waffen-SS

Waffen-SS

The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. However Schelte Heerema later assisted the Dutch resistance

Dutch resistance

Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...

, and was released after his trial at the end of the war.

Allseas spokesmen claim the naming is a fitting tribute to one of the pioneers of the offshore-industry.

External links

• Pieter Schelte. - at Allseas
  Allseas
  Allseas Group SA is one of the largest offshore pipelay companies with 2000 employees. The company is privately owned by founder Edward Heerema....
  
  
• Pieter Schelte - "The project commences". (PDF). Allseas Group