Companies planning to create offshore renewable energy operations can learn lessons from the past and take decommissioning seriously from the outset, according to an offshore expert.
Brian Nixon, chief executive of Decom North Sea, will cover decommissioning lessons learned from the oil and gas industry during a session at All-Energy tomorrow.
He said: “There is an obligation on offshore-wind developers to submit decommissioning plans and demonstrate how they will fund them at the end of project life spans. Putting together such plans is new to many of them and Decom North Sea can offer support and lessons learned from past experiences in the oil and gas industry.
“Where the oil and gas industry did not always think ahead and consider what would happen to installations at the end of their life span, those behind the ongoing wind developments can think about how they are getting infrastructure in place and how it will be taken away afterwards.
“By taking this action, they will ensure future projects are truly sustainable and environmentally appropriate, taking costs into the equation.”
“We are reaching companies that operate in the oil and gas industry with the message that the time is right to start pursuing and preparing for decommissioning opportunities.
“All-Energy gives us a platform to communicate with leading names in the fast-growing renewables sector the benefits of forward thinking and planning.”
Decom has been set up to make sure UK businesses are ready for North Sea decommissioning work. It is benefiting from initial financial support from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and from economic-development agencies Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise but aims to become self sustainable through membership subscriptions and other sources of revenue.
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