While it might not come as a surprise to learn that ROVOP provides ROV services to the wind industry, the breadth of its experience in this arena and its commitment to fostering future expertise is a welcome disclosure. We headed to Aberdeen to grab a few minutes with the company’s Commercial Director, Moray Melhuish.
PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to introduce your company and explain a little about how you serve the wind industry?
Moray Melhuish: ROVOP is an independent provider of subsea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services to the energy industry, both renewable and oil and gas. We pride ourselves on offering our clients best value using the most advanced ROV systems combined with skilled and competent personnel and exceptional customer service.
Since the founding of the company, ROVOP has supported offshore wind projects across Europe with pre-construction seabed surveys, cable laying and pull-ins, touchdown monitoring, foundation installation and other tasks related to the construction and maintenance of offshore wind facilities.
PES: Has the wind sector long been a part of your business focus? Is it performing to your expectations?
MM: Our very first project was on the Walney Offshore Windfarm in the East Irish Sea and in our first year of business, 100% of our work was in this market. We later diversified to include oil and gas, although offshore wind remains a valuable component to our business.
We have now provided ROV services to around half of Europe’s offshore windfarms including; the Baltic II Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Germany, the Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm off the Yorkshire coast and the Thornton Bank II Offshore Wind Farm approximately 30km offshore Belgium.
PES: Where in the world are you doing business? We note that you’ve just opened an office in Texas – do you have any plans for expansion into other areas?
MM: We have completed projects in more than a dozen countries including, Brazil, USA, Nigeria, Venezuela, Turkey, Germany and Norway. We recently expanded into the Americas with our Western Hemisphere headquarters in Houston, Texas, and this is part of our strategy to better service our existing clients in that market.
