Abstract
Decommissioning regulations for offshore renewable energy facilities require that all facilities be removed and the seafloor cleared of all obstructions at the end of the life of the lease. In this chapter we provide an overview of the expected workflows and stages of decommissioning that are likely to arise for offshore wind farms. We begin with background information about the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and comparisons between offshore oil and gas facilities and wind decommissioning. When offshore wind decommissioning programs are executed, they will have many similarities with the oil and gas industry as well as some significant differences. An understanding of oil and gas decommissioning markets informs our expectations of the conditions expected to develop. Decommissioning regulations are specified and expected workflows are described. An alternative method for turbine removal is proposed which, if feasible, may significantly reduce decommissioning cost. We conclude by describing the exposure and liability of the parties involved.
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Notes
- 1.
Rent for OCS limited leases have been set at $3/acre. A fee of $70 for each nautical mile that a ROW crosses is also imposed, along with an additional $5/acre easement for use of the affected area.
- 2.
For comparison, the radii used in offshore oil and gas regulations are 600 ft for caissons and 1,320 ft for platforms.
- 3.
It is also possible that copper or magnets may be scrapped or recycled, however, the proportional weight of these materials is small.
- 4.
Towers could be used in reef construction but would be easily scrapped.
References
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© 2012 Springer-Verlag London
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Kaiser, M.J., Snyder, B.F. (2012). Decommissioning Regulations and Workflows. In: Offshore Wind Energy Cost Modeling. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2488-7_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2488-7_10
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