Pipe reprocessing
A set of giant industrial pipes, which were rescued after breaking their tow in the North Sea in July, are being reprocessed at the Port of Lowestoft as part of a sustainability project.
Following the arrival of the first pipe in the port on Friday, 1 September, ABP’s Lowestoft team have been working closely with the Salvors and the Environment Agency, to agree a sustainable reprocessing method to allow the pipes to be safely cut into 12-metre lengths.
As part of the operation cut sections of pipe will be lifted from Lake Lothing onto the port’s quays for storage before being exported for reprocessing overseas.
The seven large polyethylene pipes in lengths of up to 290 metres long each were rescued following an incident on 19 July, which involved a collision between two vessels in the Dover Straits. The incident damaged the pipes near the mid-point causing a series of failures in the tow bridle connections and a number of pipes were washed up on the East Coast prompting extensive national news coverage and even a phone-in on BBC Radio 2.
By Jake Frith
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