As the knowledge of what has to be done increases, so do the predicted costs. There remains an absolute requirement to cause no damage to people, the environment or an operator’s reputation.
Much of the effort is going into developing more cost-effective methods and techniques for decommissioning, without compromising safety or environmental performance. Many of these lower-cost options rely on getting some decisions right, many years before an asset is finally decommissioned.
The link between final project costs and the decisions made during late life operation are becoming clearer - certainly some hard, and costly, lessons have been learned.
ABB engineers have developed cost-effective approaches for decommissioning, which they have learned through long experiences in the field.