The Port of Cromarty Firth has become the first port in Scotland to be granted a decommissioning Pollution Prevention Control Permit by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the latest environment legislation, it has said.
This permit is part of the Port’s preparations to attract decommissioning projects and the associated jobs to the Highlands.
The Pollution Prevention Control Regulations were updated in 2013 to ensure that emissions to air, water (including discharges to sewer) and land, plus a range of other environmental effects, must be considered together.
This environmental protection permit covers almost the whole of the Port-owned Invergordon Service Base; around 600m of quayside and 80,000sq m of laydown area. It allows for the processing of 50,000-tonne of waste material per year.
The port is accessible for the Central and Northern North Sea, has waters up to 50m deep, existing infrastructure, and an established supply chain.
A report by ALE confirmed the Port’s ability to take structures weighing up to 12,000-tonne across its quayside and it has recently been recognized by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise as one of the main Scottish ports capable of carrying out decommissioning work.
The Port has undertaken decommissioning projects in the past, including two semisubmersible rigs, subsea manifolds, and renewable energy devices, before the environmental regulations changed in 2013.
Bob Buskie, CEO of the Port of Cromarty Firth, said: “This permit is held by the Port, so companies looking to decommission their assets can either benefit from a turnkey solution using the Port’s consortium of specialist companies, or they can appoint their own preferred supplier to come and work on the Service Base.
“We are the first Port to offer this open port philosophy and allow any reputable client, operator or contractor to use the Port’s decommissioning permit. Most other ports are aligning with a single contractor, but we’re doing the opposite to provide customers with more flexibility and choice. The Port will work with these companies to ensure that all dismantling activities at the Invergordon Service Base are carried out to the highest standards.”
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