Brunei is set to have its first integrated marine maintenance and decommissioning yard which project is led by the newly established consortium, Anson International.
The 16-hectare Anson International Yard will be developed in phases at Pulau Muara Besar and targeted to commence operations by 2024.
A contract signing ceremony was made recently between Anson International and the Government of His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam represented by the Ministry of Finance and Economy; the Brunei Economic Development Board; and Brunei Shell Petroleum Company.
The signing also marks the launch of Brunei Darussalam Maritime Cluster (BDMC) whereby the yard will act as an anchor facility to catalyse its development.
In his speech, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy said that the project is one of the government’s initiatives to diversify and enhance the economy in accordance with the Brunei Darussalam Economic Blueprint.
“This project is integral to the overall strategy of developing the marine service industry in the country, based on the Brunei Darussalam Maritime Cluster (BDMC) master plan, spearheaded by the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB),” said YB Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew.
With the yard establishment, Anson International will be capable to deliver a range of maintenance services to marine vessels decommissioning services for end-of-life structures such as offshore assets and other ancillary services including engineering, fabrication, and waste handling.
Anson International is a joint-venture consisting of local partner Haji Adinin & Sons, Strategic Development Capital Fund of the Ministry of Finance and Economy and two foreign companies as technical partners – CessCon Decomm of the United Kingdom for decommissioning and Dongil Shipyard of South Korea for shipbuilding.
“The integrated yard is expected to spur the development of auxiliary industrial services to support its operation; promote these services and opportunities to local micro, small and medium enterprises as well as foreign companies, and act as an impetus for the development of other new industries under the Services sector,” said the minister.
With the commencement of the project, YB Dato Dr Hj Mohd Amin added, there will be spin-off opportunities for local entrepreneurs to venture into and foreign specialists in other industrial services to establish presence in the country, further creating more investment opportunities and for knowledge and technology transfer to local MSMEs.
The Integrated Yard Project is an important step in the establishment of Brunei Darussalam Maritime Cluster and it underscores the commitment of the government to stimulate and facilitate the development of non-oil and gas sector as part of the country’s Wawasan 2035 goal towards a Dynamic and Sustainable Economy, and the global sustainable development goals of Decent Work and Economic Growth.
“The Brunei Darussalam Maritime Cluster has the potential to capture B$10 million – B$25 million worth of annual vessel maintenance and onshore decommissioning in the short term, and the aspiration to create 4,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities for the country in the long term through the enhancement of the range of new business opportunities and infrastructure improvements,” said the minister.
YB Dato Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew also said the decommissioning and restoration programme and an onshore materials recovery facility can act as a stimulus to develop Brunei into a regional centre of excellence by attracting foreign specialists in other disciplines of the decommissioning and restoration service value chain to establish their operations in the country.
“This in turn will place Brunei in a better position to tap into the emerging multi-billion-dollar market for decommissioning of offshore oil and gas assets in Southeast Asia. Industry observers estimated the value of this opportunity is over 30 billion US dollars in the next 20 years,” he added.
What’s in Anson International Yard
According to project lead Hafriz Fayadh, the integrated layout of the yard allows the independent operations for both marine maintenance yard (MMY) on the west and decommissioning yard (DY) on the east of the site.
It also has shared common facilities to explore the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly design to fulfill the functions of the yard.
Anson International recognises the growing importance of the Global Energy Transition Market and new policies that encourage companies to switch to alternative energy.
“In anticipation of this, we have designed the yard with a ‘green-rating’ to do more than decom and marine maintenance. We are prepared to offer renewable energy solutions and have taken the first step ourselves by installing technologies such as Solar PV modules and inverters, a Re-circulated Waste Water treatment system, Composting for Food waste and Recycling of various waste materials,” said Hafriz.
The yard is also designed to accommodate extended services such as a supply base for offshore clients as well as a fabrication yard for future potential projects.
Moreover, the Quayside will be shared between the MMY and DY. Lifting equipment, offices, warehouse and other equipment will also be shared between the two operations to optimise costs.
The DY processing facility can accommodate up to three topsides at one time, added Hafriz.
“It has been developed to provide good vehicle access to all areas of the site with sufficient separation between the quayside and decom processing area to accommodate SPMT operations,” he said.
Furthermore, the cleaning facility is a purpose-built facility for further extensive cleaning of contaminated systems in a controlled surrounding where we are responsible for protecting the environment.
The site can accommodate up to six large vessels at any one time – two berths via slipways and four vessels docked along the quayside. These vessels are serviced by one twelve-ton tower crane and one 180-ton mobile crane.
The MMY facility buildings include offices, canteen, maintenance buildings and workshops that are located on the north side at a safe distance from the main work sites.
This article was first published on 02 July 2022 in our Weekly Epaper issue 200 |
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
