Aberdeen firm to create £5m decom base at port of Dundee

A new £5 million decommissioning and recycling base for the Port of Dundee has been announced.

Aberdeen-based John Lawrie Group has reached an agreement with Forth Ports to develop a two-acre site at the port.

John Lawrie Group said it will use the site to dismantle redundant offshore infrastructure brought ashore during oil and gas decommissioning projects and also for metal processing operations.

The facility will initially employ ten people and is scheduled to be operational by early next year.

Both John Lawrie Group and Forth Ports have invested in the project which will see an existing two-acre site at the city port redeveloped to create a new purpose-built concrete pad.

The site will support the existing supply chain in Dundee in delivering oil and gas and decommissioning projects in the city.

The combined investment of around £5 million by both businesses covers construction costs, the long-term lease of the site and the purchase of plant and equipment.

Scheduled to be up and running in early 2020, the facility will be operated by John Lawrie Group’s metals division. At launch, up to 10 new full-time jobs will be created, with the prospect of further posts being added as operations at the site develop.

John Lawrie Group operates metal recycling facilities in Aberdeen, Montrose, Evanton, and Lerwick, and has previously carried out decommissioning work in Dundee.

The company’s managing director Dave Weston said: “Over the coming 12 months we will be working closely with all of the relevant authorities and licensing bodies as we finalise plans for this development in Dundee.

“Our aim is to maximise the amount of materials that are reused and recycled, in order to minimise the volume of waste sent to landfill, helping to create a greener and more sustainable economy.”

David Webster, Forth Ports’ senior port manager for Dundee and Leith, said: “We are excited to be working with John Lawrie Group to develop this new decommissioning facility.

“We have worked closely together on a number of projects and the company’s commitment to reuse and recycling and its strong track record is evident.”

Source: Scottish Construction Now