North-east firms bag funding for decommissioning projects and technologies

03/08/2020
Aberdeen Harbour

A NUMBER of North-east companies and projects have been given a cash boost through the Scottish Government’s decommissioning challenge fund (DCF).

Clearwell Technology, registered in Kirkton of Durris, Aberdeenshire, and led by co-owner Paul Ray, has been awarded £172,000 to assist the development of a device for carrying out well plugging and abandonment without the use of a rig, saving customers huge sums.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

Why? Free to subscribe, no paywall, daily business news digest.

Engineering firm Pdi, of Aberdeen, pocketed £73,160 for enhancing its automated comparative assessment and decommissioning cost estimating software.

Resolute Energy Solutions, of Stonehaven, clinched £185,000 for the qualification of a new type of well abandonment barrier.

Logistics firm Peterson was granted £94,875 for the construction of a “perfectly level” skid path, making it possible for large structures to be skidded onto the quayside at the decommissioning base at Dales Voe, Lerwick.

Aberdeen Harbour Board bagged £28,000 to help pay for a study into its prospects of becoming a centre for repurposing large volumes of oilfield infrastructure.

Banchory-based Surf Engineering Management received £6,944 so that it can provide better estimates for the costs of leaving pipeline bundles in situ.

Paul Wheelhouse, Energy minister, said: “Support for the decommissioning sector – and wider energy industry – is more important now than it ever has been as we plan our strategic economic recovery from Covid-19.

“Our energy strategy recognises that decommissioning offers significant economic opportunities that can help Scottish industry capture global market opportunities through the export of knowledge and experience, and commits to enhancing the skills and capacity in Scotland.

“The Decommissioning Challenge Fund is crucial in supporting development in this growing industry and I am delighted with the range of projects funded this year. In addition to helping improve the skills of the Scottish workforce, it will support further growth opportunities for the Scottish supply chain.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the launch of the DCF in 2017 to support infrastructure upgrades, supply chain developments, engineering work and other projects to boost Scotland’s decommissioning industry.

It has made grant payments over about £12 million over the past three years, with a total of £1.84m dished out in the fourth funding round.

The latest stories