Offshore platform decom duo to start two contracts in spring

A partnership between two companies, Veolia and Peterson, has been awarded two platform decommissioning contracts for recycling at the facility in Great Yarmouth, England. 

Formalized in 2015, Veolia-Peterson is a joint venture that has been providing onshore decommissioning services for over 10 years.

With an aim of reaching 96% recycling rates, the work to recycle materials and assets is expected to begin in spring 2017 when the platforms arrive onshore, the partnership informed on Monday.

Developed as part of the partnership between Peterson and Veolia, and supported by Peel Ports Great Yarmouth, Local Enterprise Partnership, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk County Council, the new decommissioning site at Great Yarmouth Outer Harbor has been selected to receive the structures.

The contracts include the onshore receipt and disposal of offshore materials and several assets for an unnamed, major gas producer. The work will cover disposal options for a number of production complex platforms, and surrounding satellite platforms, located around 40 miles off the coast of Great Yarmouth. Recycling is expected to start this year and will take around four years to complete, the partnership said.

It has been said that the facilities which are at the end of their operational life contain valuable materials which can be re-used. This, in turn, helps boost the sustainability of the industry and becomes part of the circular economy, the partnership explained.

Simon Davies, Decommissioning General Manager of Veolia said: “Our partnership has worked well at a number of sites and projects over the last ten years, and we are very pleased to secure the first important contracts into Great Yarmouth.”

Ron van der Laan, Regional Director, Peterson added: “These contract awards are a significant milestone and step towards establishing Great Yarmouth as a centre of excellence for decommissioning in the Southern North Sea.”

Set up to cover the full decommissioning of platforms, the services of the joint venture include decontamination, deconstruction, waste management and environmental services together with associated integrated logistics, marine and quayside services. To date the joint venture has recovered over 80,000 tonnes of offshore materials.

The new works will help create approximately 10 new jobs for Veolia Peterson, with further development and employment as the projects develop.