14/10/2026
๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, 20 ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ. Heavy Lift Engineer Marko Rehbein shares his perspective on the recent removal of two retired North Sea platforms.
โOver the last two years, my project team has been preparing the removal of two massive retired oil platforms from the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐. Below is a peek into our most recent adventure๐๏ธ
Last month, from behind the control screens, we watched as ๐๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ช๐ณ๐ช๐ต lifted an equivalent of 17,000 ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง 20 ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ (for reference, the Eiffel tower weighs about 10,000 tons)! The result was an incredible and eerie sight as the platform hovered above the waterline. From there, it was transferred to the ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐บ barge and transported to the recycling yard.
As a Heavy Lift Engineer involved in ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ, most of my work happens in the office. That makes offshore trips extra special, as I get to put the ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ conducting dry runs with the crew and adapting to real conditions.
It was fascinating to experience how the anticipation in the days leading up to the lift turned into ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ when the moment arrived. Most rewarding of all was seeing everyone, from the client and insurer to the vessel crew and project team, share the excitement of watching ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง come together safely and successfully.
Together with the team TopsB we took home many great memories, saw Shetland ponies and are looking forward to our next 20,0000 ton platform!โ
๐ Thanks for sharing your story, Marko. We're proud of everyone who helped turn years of preparation into a safe and successful operation.
