The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Decom fund backing for Tayside and Fife projects
INVESTMENT: Cash comes as Forth Ports unveils new Grangemouth training base
The installation of the UK’S largest onshore heavy lift crane at the Port of Dundee has been given the backing of the Scottish Government’s new Decommissioning Challenge Fund (DCF).
Cash is also being made available to Montrose Port Authority to provide infrastructure to support a heavy lift pad on the quayside and to Fife Council to undertake a feasibility study on the potential for a decom plant at Methil.
The Scottish Government has not said how much the individual schemes are to receive, but a total of seven projects are being supported from an overall funding pot of £1.1 million.
A further six schemes are now being considered for a share of a £1.4m secondary pot.
Alex Fyfe, managing director at Oilfield Machinery (Oilmac), said the DCF was a key element in funding the installation of a new heavy lift crane at Prince Charles Wharf at the Port of Dundee.
The quayside itself is the subject of a £10m upgrading funded by docks owner Forth Ports in anticipation of the city becoming a hub for the decom sector.
“The support we’ve received from Scottish Government has been instrumental in supporting our operations in Dundee, so far,” Mr Fyfe said.
“With this investment, this part of Oilmac’s strategy has come to fruition at a time when we can optimise the opportunities for attracting business to Scotland.
“We anticipate future projects will begin at the start of 2018 with the creation of around four direct new positions.”
Nigel Lees, chairman of Decom North Sea, which brought its major industry conference at Fairmont St Andrews in Fife to a close yesterday, said: “The funding agreed by the DCF in this first round makes an important contribution to Scotland’s growing onshore decommissioning capability.
“These grants support Scotland’s ports and harbours to build on their existing assets and prepare for increasing demand, complementing growing decommissioning capability across the UK.”
Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: “Our Decommissioning Challenge Fund is a clear signal to the market to think seriously about decommissioning – a market forecasted to be worth £17 billion by 2025 – and to plan and invest.”
The move came as Forth Ports revealed a major investment to build a new training unit at Grangemouth.
The contract is out to tender and construction is set to begin in early 2018.
It will be used as a base for the continuous professional development of Forth Ports staff from Dundee, Leith, Rosyth and Grangemouth.
Group CEO Charles Hammond said: “People are key to our business and with this new training academy in Grangemouth not only will the individuals benefit, but so will our customers.”
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