Decommissioning Offshore Structures: A Threat or an Underwater Cultural Heritage Opportunity

Decommissioning Offshore Structures: A Threat or an Underwater Cultural Heritage Opportunity

This article focuses on the possibility of recycling, removing, and leaving on-site offshore structures, such as
wind turbines and oil platforms. It also looks at the environmental consequences of these structures recycling
mostly carried out in southern Asian countries with limited work and environmental regulations. The
construction of some of these offshore structures does not provide ‘end-of-life’ considerations, so, if left in situ
they will become underwater cultural heritage in the future. This article will look at the benefits of a
collaboration between offshore and maritime industries and underwater cultural heritage practitioners. It will
also highlight the importance of including as underwater cultural heritage less “attractive” sites which may not
be as popular, but can still be of importance. If forgotten, we may lose a significant part of humanity’s history.

Elena Perez-Alvaro

James Delgado

The Museum of Underwater Archaeology

2023

English

Perez-Alvaro, Elena and James Delgado. 2023. “Decommissioning Offshore Structures: A Threat or an Underwater Cultural Heritage Opportunity.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl and Ole Varmer. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1905