Construcciones Navales del Norte (La Naval de Sestao) of Spain's Basque country delivered the 'Simon Stevin' to Netherlands-based Jan de Nul in February. Driven by a diesel-electric propulsion system comprising a series of MAN Diesel 32/40 engines, the new addition to the Belgian group's fleet is the world's largest fall-pipe and rock-dumping vessel with a capacity of 19,500 cubic metres.
Construction of the ship lasted 26 months, with keel-laying taking place in April 2008 and launching in March 2009. The 'Simon Stevin' recently departed for Australia for its first commercial projects.
The 'Simon Stevin' is powered by five MAN Diesel nine-cylinder 32/40 main engines. Each delivers 4,500kW at 720rpm.
The 'Simon Stevin' will mostly be deployed in offshore applications, such as the laying of oil and gas pipes at great depths; the vessel can level the seabed and dump rocks down to a depth of 2,000 metres. According to Jan de Nul, the fall pipe can process rocks with a diameter up to 400mm, a figure greater than any other fall-pipe vessel in service.
The fall pipe has an advanced, fully automatic unfolding system, featuring an ROV
at its bottom that accurately corrects its position. The 191-metre-long vessel has a 33,500-tonne loading capacity, some 25 percent greater than the previous record-holder, and is capable of dumping 2,000 tonnes of rock per hour.
The 'Simon Stevin' can accommodate more than 70 persons and has its own helipad.