Global offshore wind pacesetter Orsted will locate its US 'Innovation Hub' in Providence, Rhode Island, where a team will identify, promote, and potentially finance and deploy next-generation technology critical for building a supply chain in America.

“Innovation has been the key to the success of the offshore wind industry in Europe, so committing time and resources to foster new technology growth here in the US was an obvious step for Orsted,” said Thomas Brostrom, president for Orsted North America. The Hub will open this spring.

The developer is the early leader in the nascent US offshore sector having been awarded more than 2.9GW of capacity through six projects off Maryland, New Jersey and New England. It also owns the 30MW Block Island array in Rhode Island state waters, the nation’s only one in operation since 2016.

With that portfolio of assets and those elsewhere worldwide, Orsted believes it can act as a commercial and technical accelerator of new technology, providing the necessary engineering, operational and commercial expertise when a product is adapted to offshore wind. Those assets can also provide access for first adaption of a technology.

“We believe there is a great value to be gained by working with the booming blue tech ecosystem,” said Jens Patrik Edvardsen, head of innovation at Orsted Offshore.

The hub team will be the first point of contact for any US technology companies interested in contracting with the company. On a bi-monthly basis, the Hub will host open door days for start-ups (and established firms) to present their technologies and test solutions.

Orsted claims a successful history of identifying and leveraging external supply chain innovation. In 2019, for example, it signed a venture deal to invest in Pict Offshore, a Scottish company.

Pict developed the Get Up Safe system, which is a motion compensated hoist solution that enables technicians to safely transfer between small moving vessels and offshore wind turbines.

Orsted already has one US base in Providence (the other is in Boston). Rhode Island also has a growing offshore wind industry cluster that includes Boston Energy, GEV, Glosten and Harbor Light Software.

Wind

Orsted selects Rhode Island for US offshore wind 'Innovation Hub'