To what extent is recycling being considered in the dismantling of offshore energy production facilities? On 20 April, several industry professionals will give their expert vision on this topic during the Decommissioning & Recycling edition of Offshore Seminar, in Hal4 at the Maas in Rotterdam.
In the coming decades, several oil and gas offshore production platforms will be dismantled. At the same time, we need to think ahead about the future dismantling of the many offshore wind turbines that are rapidly being installed in the North Sea and above the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands.
What are the rules concerning the removal of offshore platforms and wind turbines? What is involved? To what extent does recycling play a role in this process?
Offshore Seminar promises an interesting program where speakers will approach this subject from different angles.
Decommissioning
Bert van Grieken of Sea2Cradle gives the starting signal with their experience in green maritime recycling. Pim Reuderink of Bureau Veritas stresses the importance of an integrated approach to planning for a safe and affordable decommissioning process. Marcella Croes-Schalken of Modern American Recycling Services will address the challenges involved in removing offshore platforms, while Martin Bruins of Platform Brokers will discuss the opportunities and benefits of reusing offshore production facilities for other oil and gas developments.
Sustainability as part of the business plan
Egbert Vennik of Hendrik Veder Group discusses the importance of sustainability as part of the business case for the maritime industry during Offshore Seminar. An integrated approach will not only lead to a higher sustainability profile but also cost savings. Wout Stapel of Van Oord researched the feasibility of possible techniques that can be used for the complete removal of wind turbine foundations, in which sustainability plays an important role.
Recycling of wind turbines
Although the first offshore wind turbines in the Dutch part of the North Sea are yet to be removed, the industry is currently very active in thinking about the options for the reuse of the different components. The emphasis here is on the recycling of the rotor blades, which is the biggest challenge so far. The plastic composite blades of wind turbines present a challenge because there is not yet an economically lucrative method for recycling the entire blades on a large scale. Harald van der Mijle Meijer of TNO discusses the challenges and explains a study carried out by TNO into the efficient recovery of the glass fiber from the blade material. Young engineers also look at this subject. A number of KIVI students discuss their possible solutions for the reuse of wind turbine blades as part of the Engineer the Future competition.
Take part in the discussion! There are still tickets available, register now via Offshore Seminar.
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