API, OOC Sign Wind Energy MoU
The American Petroleum Institute (API) and Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop standards and guidance for offshore wind energy development, the API revealed this week. Under the MOU, both parties will leverage their expertise and existing natural gas and oil industry standards to develop a safety management systems (SMS) standard for offshore wind operations which leverage steel structural fabrication, the API noted, adding that the initial recommended practice (RP) would provide guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an SMS for U.S. offshore wind operations.
The RP would build off API RP 75, Safety and Environmental Management System for Offshore Operations and Assets, according to the API. Now in its fourth edition, API RP 75 provides systemic guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) for offshore natural gas and oil operations, the API highlighted. The third edition of API RP 75 is incorporated into the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement regulations mandating that offshore natural gas and oil operators implement SEMS and have their SEMS audited by an independently accredited auditing firm. As the world moves towards greater energy independence, the API and OOC plan to develop additional guidance and standards on offshore wind energy and other related topics as part of ongoing efforts in decarbonizing the oil and gas industry, the API outlined.
“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 in an organization statement. “It’s a natural progression to apply this expertise to the wind sector and reinforces API’s leadership in developing standards to ensure safe and environmentally conscious operations across the broader energy industry,” Liddar added. OOC Executive Director Evan Zimmerman said, “our members wanted to build on the significant effort put into API RP 75, 4th edition, by a broad range of offshore safety management experts and develop a similar standard on safety management systems developed using pipe fabrication for offshore wind applications”. “This collaboration will enable companies engaged in offshore oil and gas development to utilize the same management systems and associated interfaces for our rapidly growing offshore wind market,” he added.
In a separate statement posted on its LinkedIn page, the OOC said it is looking forward to continued collaboration with API impacting the rapidly growing offshore wind market in the United States. According to BP’s latest statistical review of world energy, installed wind turbine capacity in the U.S. stood at 132.7 gigawatts (GW) in 2021. This figure has grown every year since 2011, which is the earliest data year available for U.S. installed wind turbine capacity in BP’s latest review.