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Allseas selects Able for platform topsides decommissioning
An owner of the world’s largest heavy-lift vessel has contracted a UK fabrication yard to break up and recycle topside modules from two huge oil and gas production platforms in the North Sea
Structures from two large oil and gas production installations in the UK sector of the northern North Sea will be decommissioned and recycled from 2027, with Allseas contracted to remove and decommission TAQA UK’s Cormorant Alpha and Tern platforms.
Sub-contracted to the Dutch owner is Able Group, which will dismantle, reuse and recycle these topsides at Able Seaton Port (ASP) in Teesside, eastern England, from 2027 onwards.
Allseas has allocated its flagship vessel Pioneering Spirit to remove the two topsides and deliver them to the Teesside dismantling facility. Able anticipates up to 97% of the recovered topsides’ materials, which have a combined weight of 47,500 tonnes, will be reused or recycled.
This project is one of several Allseas will undertake for TAQA and other North Sea operators as these giant oil and gas production platforms are sequentially removed, decommissioned and recycled.
“TAQA UK’s asset-wide decommissioning programme positions us as a leader in safe, efficient, late-life asset management and decommissioning in the UK,” said TAQA UK managing director Sandy Hutchison.
“By working closely with Allseas, we are pleased our Cormorant Alpha and Tern topsides will be taken to a UK facility owned by Able Group for dismantling, reflecting our continued commitment to delivering lasting value to the UK’s energy sector and local communities.”
In September 2025, Allseas was contracted to remove the 33,000-tonne topside and 12,000-tonne upper jacket of TAQA’s Brae Alpha platform in the central North Sea, in two separate campaigns.
The contract to remove the Cormorant Alpha and Tern topsides continues the collaboration between the Dutch owner and the UK oil production group.
“Projects such as Tern and Cormorant Alpha showcase the strength of our single-lift removal technology,” said Allseas vice president for projects, Matthijs Groenewegen.
“This award marks another milestone in our collaboration with Able, whose proven expertise ensures these major topsides are safely and responsibly recycled, reflecting our shared commitment to sustainable North Sea decommissioning operations.”
Able has invested in Seaton Port to undertake platform and ship decommissioning and recycling as steel can be reused for other structures, such as in the offshore renewable energy sector.
Able Group chief executive Lance Taylor described the decommissioning contracts for Cormorant Alpha and Tern topsides are a “defining moment for Able Seaton Port” and for the UK decommissioning sector.
“We continue to invest millions of pounds into extending our capabilities – from building new quays to expanding infrastructure – ensuring we can handle larger and more complex projects in parallel,” said Mr Taylor.
“As a result, we are actively positioning ourselves to deliver more contracts, support more jobs and strengthen Teesside’s role at the centre of the global decommissioning industry.”
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