Thursday 28 March 2024
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Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Energy / Buchan Alpha wreck removal continues

One of the Buchan Alpha pontoons - weighing around 800 tonnes - taken ashore earlier on Tuesday. All photos: Ocean Kinetics

THE BUCHAN Alpha oil platform is due to be handed over to waste metal specialists John Lawrie when its final pontoon is lifted from the water at the Greenhead Base in Lerwick this evening.

Marine civil engineering company Ocean Kinetics had hired the Dutch-owned heavy lift crane Hebo Lift 9 to salvage the Buchan Alpha wreck.

The oil rig was towed to Dales Voe for decommissioning three years ago but it broke its mooring in a north easterly gale in November 2019 and grounded on the other side of the voe.

The 3,400 tonne wreck has now been dismantled and taken ashore bit by bit. The forth and final of the 800 tonne pontoons is due to be lifted onto the quay on Tuesday evening.

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