Decommissioning With the assistance of rope access

Decommissioning is often performed in industry and offshore. Literally it means dismantling and is actually another word for taking apart structures (and often recycling them).

Offshore decommissioning

When an oil platform is at the end of its economic cycle, it is removed from the water. Parts of the platform are disconnected and transported away by boat. Once onshore, all platforms, jackets and other large steel structures are taken apart (decommissioning) to be reused as scrap metal. We did this for example in Vlissingen, where the Pioneering Spirit delivered two jackets of at least 90 meters. Read more about this project here.

Decommissioning jackets Vlissingen

IRATA

IRATA is an organization that focuses on the safe execution of rope access. The organization was founded to solve maintenance problems in the offshore industry. After all, it is not as easy to build an aerial platform or scaffold at sea as it is on land. But what are the advantages of rope access?

Why rope access for decommissioning?

• Accessing difficult-to-reach locations

Rope access is mainly about the vertical movement of people and parts by means of rope techniques. That’s why rope access is also good for decommissioning. We can make any location accessible. Think of great heights, a platform that cannot be fully loaded with scaffolding or a location above water.

• Hoisting and assisting

By means of our rope techniques we can hoist up to 150 KG. Above that we use chain hoists, winches and a crane for assistance. Our rope access technicians are certified to handle loads.

• Fast and efficient, limiting risk hours

During decommissioning, structures can be fully scaffolded. Certainly useful for disconnecting components, but during the lifting moment the scaffolding obstructs. The scaffolding must first be dismantled before the loads can be lifted.

With rope access, we can prepare the site in the shortest possible time by reaching the location, disconnecting the parts and striking loads. We are then quickly removed from the site and the loads can be lifted. In this way we try to keep the lifting moment as small as possible and reduce the number of risk hours.

• Broadly trained team

Our rope access team is broadly trained. Besides rope access they all have various additional skills. It is easy to have one team on site with multiple specializations. Your advantage? One point of contact, but also fast to execute multiple work activities. First securing the parts, then welding, dismantling and striking loads? We can do it all!