TAQA UK has awarded Allseas the contract for the engineering, preparation, removal and disposal (EPRD) of the Brae Alpha platform in the UK Central North Sea. The decommissioning is to take place between 2028 and 2032.
Located 270 kilometres northeast of Aberdeen, Brae Alpha has been a cornerstone of UK offshore energy since production began in 1983. The decommissioning scope covers the 33,000-tonne topsides, 13,000-tonne jacket and 34 conductors. At least 95 per cent of recovered materials will be reused or recycled.
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Pioneering Spirit
The campaign will be carried out by Allseas’ heavy lift vessel Pioneering Spirit, supported by the construction vessel Oceanic. Built to install and remove offshore platforms in a single lift using an advanced motion compensation system, Pioneering Spirit has revolutionised the offshore energy industry.
Capable of lifting entire topsides up to 60,000-tonnes and jackets up to 20,000 tonnes, the vessel reduces the amount of offshore work associated with platform installation and decommissioning, shifting the activities onshore where it’s safer and more cost effective.
This latest award follows the 2022 Northern North Sea (NNS) decommissioning contract under which Allseas is removing TAQA’s Eider Alpha, Tern Alpha, North Cormorant and Cormorant Alpha platforms.
‘We are proud to continue working with TAQA on this next phase of their decommissioning journey, which will see the Brae Alpha topsides removed by Allseas’ single-lift capability,’ says Allseas’ President, Pieter Heerema.
Picture: TAQA Brae Alpha (photo by Allseas).
Also read: VIDEO: Pioneering Spirit removes topsides in single lift
