LOC Group launches renewables arm as wind farm industry takes off
Marine engineering consultancy firm LOC Group has launched LOC Renewables, a new service team focus specifically on supporting offshore renewable wind projects. The new team is headed by RV Ahilan, Group Director of Renewables Advisory & Energy Technology, and focuses on design, engineering, and marine warranty survey consultancy.
The winds of change are blowing through the global energy ecosystem as renewable technologies become increasingly competitive and an growing sense of reality regarding the need for long-term sustainability come to bear. One development that is becoming increasingly cost effective is wind energy, with recent studies finding costs of the technology to be falling fast.
Investment in large scale farms meanwhile continues to ramp up across key areas such as the EU and China, providing lucrative opportunities for engineering advisory services from members of the consulting industry. In a bid to get in on the expanding market for renewable energy projects, LOC Group, a consulting firm focused on the marine and engineering segment, has decided to launch LOC Renewables. The launch creates a dedicated service line team for projects related to offshore renewable energy sector consultancy. Services offered include design, engineering, and marine warranty surveys.
The team is headed by R.V. Ahilan, Group Director of Renewables Advisory & Energy Technology. He has been with the firm since early 2016, following his role of Executive Vice President at DNV GL Renewables Advisory . Ahilan is joined by various leaders from the firm’s regional offices, including in London, Exeter, Aberdeen, Paris, New York, Singapore and Shanghai.
Regarding the firm’s dedication to the growing sector, Andrew Squire, Group Chief Executive said, “LOC has been providing services to clients working in the offshore renewables space for more than 15 years, delivering services to more than two-thirds Europe’s offshore wind farms. With our increasing expertise in the sector, we have chosen to formalise our commitment to offshore renewable energy, and bring our unique combination of practical operations experience and cutting edge offshore engineering expertise to bear, with the creation of LOC Renewables.”
Development in the space, which often requires technical guidance, has created a niche market for consultancy firms – with players such as Mott MacDonald, Royal HaskoningDHV, Baringa, Ramboll and Ecofys picking up projects considerable scale related to technical advisory, financial advisory and other connected services for the implementation of renewables. LOC has meanwhile also announced plans to run the Offshore Wind Energy 2017 conference to discuss issues pertaining the segment with other industry leaders and players.
The firm’s recent work in the segment includes the provision of marine warranty survey services for the 576 MW RWE-owned Gwynt y Mor wind farm, off the Northern coast of Wales – which became operational in 2015.