Allseas’ Solitaire, one of the world’s largest pipelay vessels, is heading back to sea following a ten-month renewal and upgrade program that further advances its installation capabilities and production efficiency.
It was announced last year that the 397-meter-long vessel, operational since 1998, was to undergo major modernization, with upgrades to pipe handling, tracking, processing, welding, inspection systems, and structural elements.
Allseas reported today, July 24, that the extensive renewal and upgrade program performed in Rotterdam was entering its final phase, with the work having touched almost every major system, modernizing propulsion, power generation, automation and hybrid power capability, while transforming the double joint factory (DJF) that has been at the heart of the vessel’s pipelay operations for over 25 years.
Solitaire’s original DJF produced its final double joint in the previous setup in September 2025, having produced over 13,000 kilometers of pipeline, representing over half a million double joints.
“This was more than a refit. The programme represents a strategic reinvestment in a vessel that has helped define offshore pipelay for nearly three decades. The upgraded DJF lays the foundation for a more automated, data-driven and future-ready pipelay process, while extensive renewal work throughout the vessel strengthens reliability, efficiency and performance for the years ahead,” Allseas reported.
Following sea trials, Solitaire will return to commercial operations in the Gulf of Mexico on an ultra-deepwater pipeline project, before starting a two-year global campaign in West Africa, Taiwan and Australia, delivering more than 1,250 kilometers of pipeline.