Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Solutions to support marine restoration;
• Insights in view of sustainable business models;
• Options for repurposing aged/unused offshore platforms and enhance the circular economy transition.

The increasing number of offshore infrastructures to be decommissioned in the near future in the European seas requires a sound assessment of environmental, social and technical impacts that decommissioning processes carry. Alternatives to decommissioning can be viewed as an opportunity to preserve the marine habitats around these platforms and to convert these infrastructures to other potentially valuable uses with environmental, economic and/or scientific benefits.

Proposals under this topic are expected to show how their activities and results will achieve the Mission objective 3 – Sustainable, carbon-neutral and circular blue economy, in line with the timeframe of the Mission phases, i.e.: by 2025 for the ‘development and piloting’ phase and 2030 for the ‘deployment and upscaling phase’.

Decisions taken in the coming years will determine whether offshore infrastructures become an environmental liability or an opportunity for preserving marine ecosystems, minimising risks and promoting innovation.

There are several options available to dispose of offshore infrastructures, including complete removal and re-processing of the materials, partial removal or dismantling the structure and placing the materials on the seabed, reuse and re-purposing of the infrastructure for e.g. scientific and ocean monitoring purposes, economic, or recreational activities.

Proposals under this topic should focus on analysing options to decommissioning offshore platforms, in light of marine conservation and ecosystem protection, identifying possible business models and assessing related implications for policy/decision making and for public acceptance. This analysis should complement the outcomes of the Study on “Decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations: a technical, legal and political analysis^[1]” and will address all following issues:

Proposals should address all following issues:

1. Carry out a review of existing experiences, strategies and programmes for alternatives to offshore platforms decommissioning;
2. Design a framework for cost-benefit analysis of potential options to decommissioning of offshore platforms, including a risk/benefit analysis of these potential options on marine ecosystems and biodiversity;
3. Examine related legal, regulatory and policy issues;
4. Carry out informed discussions among major stakeholders, environmental organisations and NGOs, owners and operators, national and regional public authorities (including Regional Sea Conventions) and agencies for defining actions to address obstacles and opportunities for repurposing aged/unused offshore platforms and identify at least 3 promising sites for future demonstration activities;
5. Assess the socio-economic benefits including job creation of decommissioning versus repurposing.

[1] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/7d7d51a5-8d44-11ec-8c40-01aa75ed71a1/language-en