API and US Offshore Operators Committee to develop standards for offshore wind energy
The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) – the lease holders who operate offshore energy leases in US federal waters – have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop standards and guidance for offshore wind energy development.
“The natural gas and oil industry has decades of offshore operating experience under highly technical and complex conditions,” API Senior Vice President of Global Industry Services Anchal Liddar said. “It’s a natural progression to apply this expertise to the wind sector.”
“This collaboration will enable companies engaged in offshore oil and gas development to utilise the same management systems and associated interfaces for our rapidly growing offshore wind market,” said OOC Executive Director Evan Zimmerman.
Under the MOU, both parties will leverage their expertise and existing natural gas and oil industry standards to develop a safety management system (SMS) standard for offshore wind operations and assets. The initial recommended practice (RP) would provide guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an SMS for US offshore wind operations. As part of an ongoing relationship, the two groups plan to develop additional guidance and standards on offshore wind energy and other related topics.
