Allseas expanding offshore fleet with Grand Tour transport vessel

Allseas has contracted Guangzhou Shipyard International in China to construct a semisubmersible heavy transport vessel.

According to Allseas, the vessel, which is due to be delivered in first-quarter 2028, will be named Grand Tour.

It will have capacity to carry loads of up to 40,000 metric tons and is designed to fit precisely inside the bow slot of Allseas’ flagship installation vessel Pioneering Spirit.

The arrangement should allow the company to offer clients a one-stop service for transport and installation of large structures fabricated far from the offshore installation location. 

Grand Tour’s semisubmersible hull will have a 57-m beam, which should provide required stability and shallow-draft access at yards globally. Its 180-m x 57-m cargo deck is designed for direct skidding, roll-on/roll-off and float-on/float-off operations, and its ballast system will be capable of pumping 24,000 cu m/hour of water. 

The vessel will also be fitted with a methanol-ready 24-MW propulsion system, with the capability to switch to e-Methanol.

Other features include an air lubrication system beneath the hull and podded propulsion, engineered to reduce drag, improve transit efficiency and lessen fuel consumption.

The company expects to deploy Grand Tour to support installations for TenneT’s 2-GW offshore wind construction program in the North Sea. The vessel will transport large converter stations from yards in Asia and Europe to the installation sites in the Dutch and German sectors, with Pioneering Spirit performing single-lift installations.

It will also allow Allseas to relocate other vessels elsewhere.