UK's Sunderland Port to open offshore decommissioning facility

Northern Metal Recycling has entered into a strategic partnership with the Port of Sunderland in the UK to establish a new base for offshore recycling that will serve North Sea clients.

The new base will have access to 540 metres of deep-water berths, allowing it to handle a range of project cargoes. The decommissioning facility will also benefit from the use of multiple heavy-lift cranes, two of which have the capability to perform tandem lifts of up to 240 tonnes.

Analysts expect that, within the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), decommissioning expenditure will reach a peak of more than £2.5 billion (US$3.3 billion) per year in the next two decades, as valued by the North Sea Transition Authority, representing a huge opportunity for the region.

Northern Metal Recycling is headquartered in Shildon, County Durham, where it operates a fully compliant metal recycling plant on Hackworth Industrial Park. It was the close proximity of the site to Port of Sunderland, and the port’s ability to transport goods by rail, road and sea, that influenced the decision to invest in the North Sea hub.