Allseas’ record-setting heavy lift vessel Pioneering Spirit has completed the single-lift removal of the Eider Alpha topsides, weighing approximately 11,600 tonnes, from the northern North Sea. The operation marks the beginning of a major series of dismantling projects for TAQA UK’s North Sea decommissioning programme.
The Eider platform is the first of four TAQA-operated platforms—including Tern Alpha, North Cormorant, and Cormorant Alpha—to be removed under Allseas’ engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal (EPRD) contract for the Northern North Sea (NNS) assets. The removal followed several years of detailed engineering and a three-month offshore preparation campaign executed by the construction support vessel Oceanic.
The Eider lift demonstrates Pioneering Spirit’s advanced capability to perform large-scale single-lift operations safely and efficiently, even in harsh offshore conditions. Its state-of-the-art motion compensation system and twin-bow stability design ensured controlled operations throughout the lift.
Following removal, the topsides were safely delivered to the AF Environmental Base in Vats, Norway, where dismantling and recycling are being carried out in line with TAQA’s 97% reuse and recovery target.
The Eider project forms part of Allseas’ long-term collaboration with TAQA on UK North Sea decommissioning works. The NNS decommissioning contract—the largest of its kind in the UK, covering over 120,000 tonnes of offshore infrastructure—underscores Allseas’ leadership in sustainable offshore dismantling. Additionally, TAQA UK has awarded Allseas the EPRD contract for the 33,000-tonne Brae Alpha platform in the UK Central North Sea.
The Eider removal concludes a productive year for Pioneering Spirit, which by the end of 2025 will have lifted and transported over 80,000 tonnes of offshore infrastructure across the oil, gas, and wind sectors.
