The Teesside skyline is set to change – at least for the next few months!

Posted on the : 29th April 2017

The imminent arrival of the Brent Delta Topside will provide a spectacular addition to the Teesside skyline. The 24,200t structure has a footprint of 72m x 47m, is up to 130m high and is due to arrive at Able Seaton Port, Hartlepool on or around Wednesday, May 3rd.

The Topside will arrive as a ‘single piece’, having been lifted from its foundation and transported by the world’s largest vessel – the £2.5 billion Pioneering Spirit – which measures 382m x 124m. The Pioneering Spirit is expected to arrive at a point around 5.5 nautical miles north east of Hartlepool on or around Sunday, April 30. The structure will subsequently be transferred to a barge – the Iron Lady (200m x 57m) – which will then bring the structure into the river Tees and to Able Seaton Port.

Timings will be subject to tide and weather conditions but the process, which will be carried out during daylight hours, should afford spectacular views from the Hartlepool Headland as well as both banks of the river.

Peter Stephenson, Able’s Executive Chairman, commented:

‘The arrival of the Brent Delta Topside will represent a significant development for the entire decommissioning sector and is the culmination of a long and detailed process that has involved a wide range of partners. For our part, we have invested c. £28m in developing a new heavy duty specialist quay to receive these types of structures. The arrival itself should certainly provide fellow Teessiders with an impressive spectacle! Of course the topside will not be a permanent feature and our ultimate aim is to recycle over 98% of the structure, a process that should be completed within the next 12 months.’