Offshore Wind Consultants (OWC) is set to open its first US office in Boston, Massachusetts, citing an increasing number of requests from US wind farm developers as the reason.
“The US offshore wind market is now taking off. In the past year OWC has undertaken a number of US assignments and we are receiving an increasing number of service requests from the US. Our clients are increasingly expecting a permanent presence from us, which allows us the opportunity to expand into Boston,” said John MacAskill , business development director at OWC.
The independent engineering consultancy has been involved in several US offshore wind projects to date, leveraging on the office of its sister company, Aqualis Offshore, in Houston, Texas.
As an example, Aqualis Offshore has provided geotechnical site investigation supervision services at Ørsted’s Ocean Wind offshore wind farm.
”Boston is increasingly becoming the centre for offshore wind developments in the US. We aim to support projects at both early stage and as they work through to realisation, mixing our global wind experience with local knowledge and expertise. We will also continue to capitalise on Aqualis Offshore US offshore sector competence,” said MacAskill.
As part of this initiative, OWC has recruited Adrienne Fink who will lead this new Boston based team. Fink has worked as an environmental and regulatory consultant with over 20 years of experience in the US energy sectors in the onshore, coastal, and marine infrastructure markets. She was an early adopter and supporter of US offshore wind, involved with the MMS reorganisation and development of BOEMRE (now BOEM) and interim Rule Guidance development.