World’s largest construction vessel offloads cargo in Firth of Forth

A large oil drilling platform has passed under the Forth bridges in the Firth of Forth after being offloaded by the world’s largest construction vessel.

The 382-metre-long Allseas‘ Pioneering Spirit transferred its huge cargo of a topside drilling platform onto a 200-metre-long cargo barge called the Iron Lady, according to the Daily Mail.

The second part of the two-day operation saw the cargo barge being towed clear of the Pioneering Spirit and passing under the three Forth bridges with the drilling rig – which is being decommissioned – on its deck.

Stuart Wallace, Forth Ports chief operating officer, says: “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.”

Following its berthing alongside at the Port of Rosyth in Fife, Scotland, the barge is scheduled to remain at the port 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.