US Offshore Wind Skills Academy Kicks Off

The Danish Energy and Climate Academy (ECA) and the University of Delaware have developed the Offshore Wind Skills Academy (OWSA) to provide education for the U.S. offshore wind market.

The aim of OWSA is to prepare professionals from traditional energy industries, supply chain companies, regulators, investors, consultants and others who may be new in the offshore wind sector.

According to the University of Delaware, the academy builds on ECA’s experience in training over 2,000 European wind power professionals and the university’s College of Earth, Ocean, & Environment’s research and graduate education in U.S. offshore wind.

Industry experts, such as project developers, original equipment manufacturers, and engineers with European or North American experience, will be featured as lecturers.

Topics are covered in one- to three-day intensive sessions, with the inaugural three-course session taking place in the week of 27 January.

The first session will start with a one-day overview of offshore wind and a two-day comprehensive introduction, both suitable for anyone entering the sector.

The advanced three-day offshore wind project development will shed light on site selection, contracts, risk assessment, turbine evaluation, BOEM processes, installation logistics and completion, contracting, U.S. permitting and supply chain.

The courses will be held on the Newark Campus at the University of Delaware Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.

A limited number of support scholarships are available for advanced students in wind power graduate programs, the university said.