John O’Keeffe has been appointed as the new Head of Renewables, Americas. O’Keeffe, a former maritime Captain with vast experience in the U.S. offshore wind industry, will join Blue Water’s office in Houston after serving as Head of Marine Affairs North America at Orsted.
Work experience
John was an integral part of America’s first offshore wind farm at Block Island. Following that success, he built the first Marine Affairs team in the US offshore wind market to facilitate the development of the Orsted pipeline of projects, a model for other developers in the US.
His hiring comes as Blue Water Shipping looks to make further inroads into the U.S. offshore wind market, which is expected to accelerate development over the next decade.
Operational experience
John’s operational experience is essential to amplify our positive momentum"
"John O’Keeffe’s wealth of knowledge adds a new level of expertise to Blue Water Shipping’s 30 years of Offshore Wind Logistics experience," said Brent Patterson, Regional Director of Americas at Blue Water Shipping.
Brent Patterson adds, "John’s operational experience is essential to amplify our positive momentum. The U.S. Renewable Energy market is poised for vast expansion over the next decade, and our leadership team is very pleased to welcome him to the company."
Marine logistical support
Blue Water Shipping has extensive experience in the global offshore wind industry, providing key marine logistical support for over 30 different offshore wind projects across the world including the Block Island wind farm off Rhode Island.
While the United States is early in its industrial development, the country boasts a project pipeline of 11.6 GW and a prospective 32 GW market to be built within the next 15 years.
Manufacturing and construction
Recently the federal government gave approval to the Vineyard Wind project off the Atlantic Coast and will soon move into the manufacturing and construction phases.
As the U.S. offshore wind industry continues to make great progress, it will necessitate the experienced and skilled marine logistical support of companies like Blue Water Shipping.