A new alliance of businesses involved in the North Sea oil and gas decommissioning sector has been established – Forth and Tay Decommissioning (F&TD).
F&TD’s goal is to position Dundee as the UK hub for North Sea oil and gas decommissioning projects. Members include ABB, Augean North Sea Services, COES Caledonian, Forth Ports, John Lawrie Group, Offshore Decommissioning Services and Well-Safe Solutions.
Together, the members claim to be able to provide integrated, end-to-end services for decommissioning projects. F&TD hopes to eliminate the high cost, effort and risk of relocating talent and equipment for traditional project-based decommissioning.
In the Firth of Forth, F&TD aims to create a ‘virtual’ deepwater port. A feasibility study has been commissioned and is being carried out by Bureau Veritas to assess the viability of a floating deepwater quayside capable of accommodating the very largest decommissioning projects.
Callum Falconer, chief executive of Dundeecom, stated: “F&TD will create the framework for a sustainable, profitable and low cost decommissioning industry in Dundee, and better serve the future needs of our industry in Scotland.
“We are supporting and aligning with the UK government and industry regulators through our new model for decommissioning. I am confident that the feasibility study, also announced today for a virtual deepwater quayside will demonstrate that there is an opportunity to take an alternative approach by taking the quayside to the deepwater thus capitalising on the natural deepwater in the Forth,” he added.
Charles Hammond, chief executive of Forth Ports, which owns the port of Dundee, said: “Through significant private investment and strong partnerships, Dundee now offers a full service for the North Sea Oil and Gas decommissioning sector. The proximity to the skills base in Dundee, along with unrivaled land space and heavy lift quayside, makes Dundee the logical choice for large-scale decommissioning in Scotland."
