The opportunities for the crane and lifting pipeline in the North Sea have never been greater.
With the progress of new developments such as Hywind Tampen, the Northern Lights carbon capture programme and the Neart na Gaoithe wind farm, the outlook for new renewables projects in the Norwegian and UK sectors remains strong. Coupled with new and ongoing decommissioning activities in the region, it is anticipated that the demand for heavy lifting operations will be significant.
EnerMech’s general manager for Norway, Trond Møller, has worked for the integrated global technical solutions and services specialist for 15 years, helping to navigate the 2014 downturn, as well as the Covid pandemic to provide ongoing safety critical asset support to the firm’s portfolio of clients, including the offshore energy sector.
He is also a committee member for the International Offshore Crane & Lifting Conference (IOCLC), which comes to Aberdeen’s P&J Live on the 23rd and 24th April. It is the only conference which focuses exclusively on the offshore crane and lifting business in the North Sea and beyond, alternating every year between the Granite City and Stavanger.
Here, Trond discusses some of the sector’s challenges as well as the game-changing technological advances helping to scale up green energy supply:
How has the sector evolved to support a low carbon future?
The focus across the board has become razor-sharp on achieving net-zero emissions. More offshore renewables projects are underway than ever before. At the same time, according to the North Sea Transition Authority, about £2 billion is expected to be spent annually on decommissioning in the next decade, meaning there are opportunities across the full lifecycle for heavy lift and engineering support.
Using our five decades of experience in the North Sea, companies such as EnerMech are well positioned to leverage their expertise garnered to secure new campaigns and attract – and retain – new talent to the sector.
Has the recent boom and bust nature of the offshore sector affected attracting new workers?
It’s true we operate in a cyclical sector, which can cause a degree of uncertainty for new entrants. However, countering this the industry does offer a wide range of work opportunities which can draw from many different industries and locations around the world. With the offshore sector picking up significantly to support new renewables and decom projects, there is a higher demand for new talent and recruitment, which is important for long-term sustainability. Skilled people from all different backgrounds are being hired which helps to bring fresh perspectives and vibrancy into the market, driving more effective and innovative solutions.
Which examples of new technologies are driving efficiencies?
The energy transition has sparked significant R&D investment and some very exciting game-changing technologies which are truly pushing the envelope, enhancing greater safety and efficiencies for crane operations.
This includes the use of AI and IoT to provide valuable crane utilisation insights in real-time; remote monitoring assistance to aid predictive maintenance strategies using data from safety-critical equipment and components to monitor anomalies and mitigate failure; and drones being deployed to help assist with all aspects of crane operations.
As always with IOCLC events, we are keen to involve companies covering all disciplines, from petroleum regulators to crane manufacturers, offshore wind developers, vessel operators and data software firms. Learning from each other’s experiences, as well as discussing offshore crane, lifting technology, crane standardisation and industry safety initiatives, can provide essential insight to ensure that, we, as a sector, continue to offer a robust, safe and world-class service.
Managed by the Norwegian Society of Lifting Technology in cooperation with the Offshore Mechanical Handling Equipment Committee, the IOCLC has been running for 26 years. To find out more about speaker opportunities or sign up to attend, click here: www.liftingoffshore.com
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