The European Marine Energy Centre has contracted Leask Marine to remove a tripod foundation from its Fall of Warness tidal test site off Orkney.
The decommissioning operations due to be wrapped up in the summer will feed into a collaborative EU-funded Foresea project called FoDTEC (Forensic Decommissioning for Tidal Energy Converters).
Forensic examination techniques will focus on biofouling and metallurgic analysis as well as collation of a detailed photographic record of the decommissioning activity for future reference.
Project partners include Blackfish Engineering Design Ltd, the International Centre for Island Technology, Rovco, Brunel Experimental Techniques Centre, and Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology and Brunel Design.
Blackfish engineering director Tim Warren said: “This project offers a fantastic opportunity to learn about the decommissioning process, as well as to provide valuable learning to developers in the field of long term biofouling and corrosion effects.
“Until now, there have been few opportunities to study tidal stream sub-sea infrastructure that has been in place for nearly 10 years.”
Image: Fall of Warness (EMEC)
EMEC focused on tripod test
By EBS