Executives from Brazil’s biggest port said they want to “copy and paste” Dundee’s decommissioning success on a visit to the city this week.
Ricardo Luca and Luiz Rozo, oil and gas business development executives from Porto do Acu in Rio de Janeiro, were keen to highlight the opportunities available for Dundee firms to take their skills to Brazil where the decommissioning industry is in its infancy.
With the Brazilian government advocating diversification, privately owned Porto do Acu, which is 130,000 square kilometres, is keen to adopt the model of collaboration developed by the Forth and Tay Decom Alliance.
Mr Luca, general manager of oil and gas business development for Porto do Acu, said: “We have, of course, heard of Dundee and the universities here, but the port is something new for us.
“Porto do Acu, was founded in 2014, but Dundee is an old port and has a lot of well-known companies.
“We want to ‘copy and paste’ how it is done here and take that back to Rio de Janeiro.”
He added: “There are jobs and opportunities for Dundee firms in the Brazilian decom sector for sure.”
Mr Rozo added: “The port complex at Dundee as a whole is a perfect fit for decommissioning, so this has been a good learning experience for us.”
The visit included discussions with industry, Scottish Development International (SDI) and presentations on subjects including management of hazardous waste.
Of 160 offshore production rigs in Brazil, 67 have been in operation for more than 25 years and will have to be decommissioned in the near future.
Another 24 rigs have between 15 to 25 years of use. Around 70 rigs have a lifespan of less than 15 years.
Callum Falconer, chief executive of Dundeecom, has previously visited Brazil.
He said: “We were invited to Rio by SDI, who had heard about the decommissioning alliance in Dundee, and we met with around 20 companies, and told our story.
“Where Porto do Acu is in terms of decommissioning is where Dundee was four years ago, so we have taken Dundee from that to what we believe is a good template to fit with the future aspirations of Porto du Acu to the extent they have come over here just weeks after our visit which is very flattering to us.
“Collaboration is important, and we have established a strategic relationship with Porto do Acu, and this is just the beginning of the journey.”
jimillar@thecourier.co.uk