Category: Decom Engineering

Decom Engineering has announced the appointment of Nick McNally as Managing Director, marking a new chapter in the company’s growth as it accelerates international expansion and technological innovation in the decommissioning sector.

His appointment reflects Decom’s strategic focus on scaling operations, expanding into new markets, and strengthening its position as a leading provider of patented cutting technologies to the global energy industry.

Nick, who has served as Decom’s Commercial Director since 2019, said: “This is an exciting new stage for Decom as the business evolves from a highly respected niche engineering firm into a globally recognised technology partner.

“With new markets opening up and recent contract wins in Australia, Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico, the opportunities ahead are considerable and my focus will be on building the infrastructure, capability and culture to meet that growth head-on.”

Under Nick’s leadership, Decom has succeeded in rolling out a new ultra-light Chopsaw with improved cutting performance, which has seen the C1-16UL deployed across complex subsea projects in challenging offshore environments, and the company has been buoyed by recent project wins in Australia, South America and Europe.

Under his direction, the company has already consolidated operations in Aberdeen, closed its Northern Ireland facility, and restructured its internal systems and roles as Decom sharpens its focus on strategic delivery and long-term value.

The company is actively progressing ISO certification alongside additional IP coverage and is engaged with the Fit for Offshore Renewables programme, enabling greater access to clean energy markets and expanding opportunities in offshore wind.

Nick added: “With international demand growing and increasing interest in our cutting technology, we’re focused on scaling responsibly, strengthening our systems, investing in our people and remaining agile, which enables us to move into new markets such as offshore wind and onshore decommissioning.”

Mike Irvine, Partner at Cordovan Capital, Decom’s lead investor, said: “Nick brings a focused leadership style and clear understanding of the technical and operational demands of our business and will lead the company into this next phase, ensuring we remain innovative, responsive, and aligned with the evolving needs of the global energy industry.”

Decom is investing in talent and plans to expand its workforce from 16 to over 25 staff within the next 18 months, with new roles across engineering, operations, and business development. Demonstration events in the United States are planned for later this year as the company evaluates potential partnerships and future growth in North America.

 

For more information, visit the Decom Engineering website at decomengineering.co.uk

Subsea technology specialist, Decom Engineering, has developed and deployed a groundbreaking ultra-light Chopsaw which is transforming how contractors approach challenging subsea cutting operations.

The C1-16UL represents the most significant advancement in Aberdeen-based Decom’s highly respected Chopsaw range, specifically engineered to handle the demanding task of cutting flexible risers and mooring chains under tension, Riser Turret Moorings and Deepwater Tensioned Moorings.

The standout feature of the C1-16UL is its exceptional weight characteristics – weighing approximately 270kg in air but just 30kg in seawater – and this dramatic weight reduction offers unprecedented manoeuvrability with ROVs while maintaining the robust cutting capabilities inherent in all Decom Chopsaws.

Decom Engineering Commercial Director, Nick McNally, said: “We’ve fundamentally rewritten the chopsaw rulebook. Where traditional subsea cutting relied on heavier, rigid steel frames, we’ve created a tool that delivers superior performance while being light enough for smaller ROVs to deploy effectively. This eliminates the need for cranes and enables access to challenging locations previously considered inaccessible.”

Following extensive testing and trials, the C1-16UL has been successfully deployed offshore on international projects, leading to Decom investing in three additional units which are currently engaged in chain cutting and flexible riser cutting operations.

Equipped with Decom’s proprietary Tungsten Carbide Tipped blade, the C1-16UL delivers exceptionally fast, clean and precise cuts. Each blade performs up to 100 cuts depending on application, with blade changes completed in just five minutes, significantly minimising operational downtime.

“Close collaboration with our clients has enabled us to deliver a tool that cuts large mooring chain in a matter of minutes, where previously these operations could take hours per cut using other methods,” McNally explained. “The efficiency gains and cost savings are transformational for our clients’ subsea operations.”

The C1-16UL incorporates several groundbreaking innovations, including a subsea-grade aluminium frame replacing traditional steel construction and a high-torque direct-drive hydraulic motor which has eliminated the need for a gearbox without sacrificing performance.

The C1-16UL employs a sophisticated single-clamp system that provides equivalent stability while reducing weight and complexity. A revolutionary modular buoyancy system allows fine-tuning for different operational environments, ensuring optimal stability and control across varying deployment conditions.

Nick McNally added: “The C1-16UL has been designed to accommodate multiple deployment methodologies. The tool can be deployed in a subsea basket, via our own purpose-built deployment frame, or attached directly to the front of an ROV – a configuration successfully implemented on a recent project in Brazil.

“The versatility of the C1-16UL allows for cuts to be made in any orientation, providing unprecedented flexibility in various operational scenarios. This adaptability, combined with its lightweight design, opens up entirely new possibilities for subsea intervention work.”

Decom said the C1-16UL addresses critical limitations in existing subsea cutting technology, where weight and size constraints made traditional tools less suited for deployment in confined subsea environments or attached to an ROV.

“We identified significant knowledge gaps that couldn’t be bridged by existing adaptations of conventional technology. The redesign of the cutting frame using subsea aluminium to reduce weight, the reconfiguration of hydraulic drive systems to enhance efficiency, and the integration of buoyancy control systems are hallmarks of Decom’s innovative approach to offering clients optimal cutting solutions

“Experimental validation and iterative development that went well beyond routine engineering improvements has resulted is a tool that doesn’t just improve on existing solutions – it fundamentally changes what’s possible in subsea cutting operations.”

Form more information, visit the Decom Engineering website at decomengineering.co.uk