Transforming decommissioning with academic and industry collaboration

Combining industry expertise with academic excellence, the NDC is working in partnership with the energy sector to lead research and development that supports the sector to achieve cost and emissions reductions, improve environmental outcomes and transform approaches to deliver sustainable net zero decommissioning.

The NDC builds on the world-leading R&D capability at the University of Aberdeen in areas such as decommissioning technologies, predictive modelling, environmental assessment and the economics and regulatory aspects of decommissioning.

Working across the oil and gas, nuclear and renewables sectors the NDC adds value and creates competitive advantage by linking industry demand and expertise with academic capability and skills.

The NDC collaborates nationally and globally with universities, R&D institutions, and innovation centres active in decommissioning and energy transition, and partners with fishing, marine, safety and environment organisations.

Based in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, in the Energetica corridor, the Centre hosts state-of-art facilities, including a Marine Simulator, Underwater Laser Cutting System and a Well Plugging and Abandonment (P&A) Barrier Qualification Test Chamber.  Other facilities include a high-tech digital visualisation suite to enable collaboration, high specification engineering laboratories and a large hangar space for the design and development of decommissioning technology, as well as a suite of environmental commercial testing facilities.