The Kishorn Dry Dock was recently opened to the sea for the first time in 25 years in order to welcome the MV Kaami (photo John Laurie)
Working to European ship recycling and SEPA requirements, John Lawrie’s team from its Evanton base in Easter Ross, Scotland, successfully carried out decommissioning work on the freighter Misje Rederi in partnership with Kishorn Port Limited (KPL). The ithe first-of-its kind project ncluded the downsizing of the full structure. A total of 1,200te of material has been recovered and shipped for processing and recycling. Following a review in conjunction with the client, certain elements of the material have been considered for reuse purposes such as the propeller and the wheelhouse, with the wheelhouse already in position at a visitor’s viewing gallery overlooking the dry dock.
With an aim of zero to landfill, every piece of material the company handled was assessed for reuse or repurpose before being processed for recycling. By processing and recycling the metal from the Kaami, the amount of waste being sent to landfill has been significantly reduced, thereby helping to create a circular economy by keeping waste materials in use for longer.
After the material was sorted and segregated and the metal processed, it was shipped directly from the site by sea to a steel mill in Europe for smelting ready to be made into new products. Shipping directly from the site also saved transportation by road (approximately 48 articulated vehicles loads negated) and therefore helped to cut even more carbon emissions.
A stunning time lapse video shows the entire operation.
Built in 1994, the vessel, owned by Norway’s Misje Rederi, was sailing under the flag of the Bahamas when it ran aground on 23 March this year. Coincidentally, this exact vessel has previously been used to ship John Lawrie processed scrap metals to Europe. The vessel’s length overall (LOA) is 89.8 metres and width 13.19 metres making it a considerable size for downsizing and the first project of its type for John Lawrie.
Dave Weston, MD John Lawrie Metals Ltd, commented, “We are delighted to have collaborated with Kishorn Port on this project, the first of many that will no doubt come to the port. After years of planning and numerous discussions with the team at KPL, it is amazing to think that we have finally assisted them in completing this first successful project. The operation ran smoothly with no safety incidents and that’s thanks to great communication and teamwork.”
Kishorn Port Director, Alasdair Ferguson added;
“We look forward to working on further projects with John Lawrie where the opportunities arise, and bidding in particular on more floating assets that can be accommodated for decommissioning at Kishorn Port & Dry Dock in the future.”
Located on the north west coast of Scotland, Kishorn Port and Dry Dock is the ideal site for the manufacturing, laydown and assembly of renewable energy devices for offshore wind, wave and tidal sectors as well as the oil and gas and decommissioning industry. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has invested more than £700,000 in Kishorn in recent years, along with support from the Decommissioning Fund, to add to the significant investment made by KPL and its partners, contributing towards the costs of overhauling the dock gates, modified seals, creating a new access road, and buying and installing dry dock gate anchors and two new moorings for holding the gates in the loch.
