UK-based subsea technology and services firm Rovco has signed a framework agreement with Danish offshore wind giant Ørsted to provide operations and maintenance work on two of the developer’s US wind farms.
Under the agreement, Rovco will provide services on the Block Island Wind Farm and South Fork Wind Farm. Block Island, located off Rhode Island, was the first offshore wind farm in the United States and generates 30MW of renewable energy. The South Fork Wind project became the US’ first commercial-scale wind farm in March of this year, delivering 132MW to Long Island.
Rovco will carry out its work using ROVs coupled with its SubSLAM technology for simultaneous location and mapping. This will provide live stream inspections and precise real-time 3D reconstructions of site assets, supporting quick decision-making onshore. The full site data capture will give Ørsted detailed insight into both the structures themselves and the surrounding environment.
The UK firm stated that this agreement was a key development in its expansion plans in the US. The Ørsted contract, along with other framework agreements, will enable the creation of 25 new roles that will be managed out of Rovco’s New York office, with recruitment already underway.
“Landmark sites like Block Island and South Fork are crucial in building local supply chains, infrastructure, and jobs, providing the momentum needed for further growth of the US offshore wind market,” said Mitch Johnson, Rovco’s director of Americas.
“The US has the potential to be a leading market for offshore wind and Ørsted is playing a key role in building capacity, so we’re proud to be supporting them with our high-tech offshore wind solutions,” Brian Allen, CEO at Rovco, added.
