DEME's new fallpipe vessel—the world's largest—was officially named Yellowstone by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium, during a ceremony in Zeebrugge on Tuesday.
Originally a bulk carrier, the ship was converted at Pax Ocean Shipyards in Singapore for rock placement work in the offshore energy industry. The DP2 vessel has a payload capacity of 37,000 tonnes and features a central vertical fallpipe that is capable of operating in water depths of 600-700 meters, along with a large inclined fallpipe which has been designed for shallower depths of 30-50 meters.
The TIER III compliant, dual-fuel vessel is prepared to run on cleaner-burning methanol fuel, and it also features a hybrid power plant with a 1 MWh lithium-ion battery to unlock additional fuel savings, DEME said.
This summer, Yellowstone will sail for the U.S. to work on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, where DEME is installing 176 monopile foundations, three offshore substations and subsea cables.
DEME said the name Yellowstone was selected in an internal naming contest among its employees, carrying the legacy established by the company’s other fallpipe vessels, Flintstone and Rollingstone.
“We were greatly honored that Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium accepted our invitation to become the godmother of Yellowstone," said DEME CEO Luc Vandenbulcke. "Yellowstone embodies the innovation and excellence that DEME stands for, and the presence of Her Royal Highness at this naming ceremony emphasizes the significance of this great milestone.”