Birdon scrapped 11 decommissioned Fremantle Class Patrol Boats (FCPBs) on behalf of the Australian Department of Defence.
The vessels, which were 42 metres in length and weighed 220 tonnes, were towed to Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering (DSRE) for dismantling and processing.
Birdon undertook all aspects of the disposal including project planning, contract management, quality environmental and safety management, and commercial support.
The disposal process itself included the removal and safe disposal of hazardous and dangerous materials including oils, fuels, asbestos and other general non-metallic items. Following decontamination, all recoverable metals were destroyed and processed as foundry feed. As part of the contract terms, high-value mechanical items, including 24 x MTU Detroit Diesel Engines were retained for preservation, refurbishment and on-sale to the commercial market. At the completion of the destruction and disposal project, the work site was remediated and demobilised.
