Cargo feat for largest construction vessel

In an operation spanning two days on the River Forth, Allseas’ 382m long and 124m wide Pioneering Spirit transferred a topside drilling platform onto the 200m long cargo barge, the Iron Lady.

Stuart Wallace, chief operating officer at Forth Ports, said: “It was a truly spectacular sight to see this huge vessel offloading its cargo within our deep water on the River Forth. Watching the Iron Lady towed safely into the Port of Rosyth by our tugs against the backdrop of all three Forth crossings was a bit special too.”

Team effort

Following the transfer, the Pioneering Spirit, which was specifically designed for the single-lift installation and removal of large offshore platforms, separated from the Iron Lady and the cargo barge was towed clear. The Pioneering Spirit then set off once more for the North Sea.

With its cargo safely secured to its deck, the Iron Lady was then towed westwards along the River Forth by Forth Ports’ tugs, the Craigleith, Inchkeith and Fidra in a carefully planned operation to ensure the structure had sufficient clearance to transit below the iconic Forth Bridge, then the Forth Road Bridge and finally under the Queensferry Crossing before berthing alongside at the Port of Rosyth.

The Iron Lady is scheduled to remain moored at the Port of Rosyth for around six weeks before being towed back east along the river to the Energy Park Fife in Methil where its cargo will be unloaded for decommissioning.

Mr Wallace added operations like this will become more frequent as oil and gas decommissioning projects from the North Sea and elsewhere gather momentum.

He said the Forth Estuary’s deep and sheltered water, alongside the decommissioning facilities on both the River Forth and River Tay, support these operations.

By Rebecca Jeffrey