First in port topside transfer for Allseas Pioneering Spirit at Lerwick
Watch the full footage of the delivery and load-in of the 14,200 tonne Ninian Northern topside by Allseas Pioneering Spirit.
In the deep-water voe, the topside was transferred onto Allsea's Iron Lady cargo barge and then moved to quayside.
After only eight hours on her first visit into a UK port, Pioneering Spirit, the world largest heavy lift vessel, departed for Rotterdam, three hours ahead of schedule.
A complex operation to slide the topside 185 metres from Iron Lady to a newly-built heavy duty concrete pad, was undertaken over two days. The process involved synchronising the barge to the quayside to remain absolutely level and a push/pull system of hydraulic engines sliding the total transfer weight of 16,200 tonnes, including skid equipment, along purpose-built skid rails.
Dales Voe decommissioning pad has an impermeable surface with a 60 tonne per square metre loading, which matches the quayside capacity. The unique quay design has an 800 tonne per metre line loading which enabled the transfer of the topside from the barge.