ABS Group, the independent certified verification agent (CVA) for the Block Island Wind Farm, has issued a verification certificate to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) in supporting the reliable operation of the first commercial wind farm in U.S. waters.
The CRMC is the permitting agency responsible for overseeing that wind farm operations conform to state regulations.
Deepwater Wind’s Block Island Wind Farm began commercial operations in December 2016, and the five-turbine wind farm is currently producing 30 MW at full capacity. As part of the CVA scope of work, ABS Group provided technical verification services to help confirm that the Block Island facilities had been designed, fabricated and installed in accordance with industry standards and accepted engineering practices. ABS Group will present the final “Facility Design Report” and “Fabrication and Installation Report” to the CRMC at the semi-monthly CRMC council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
“The CRMC is proud to have been the driving force behind the first offshore wind farm in the United States, through its Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) and groundbreaking permitting process, and we celebrate along with Deepwater Wind for achieving this verification certificate from ABS Group, the independent CVA for the project,” says Grover J. Fugate, CRMC’s executive director. “ABS Group’s independent evaluation of the design, construction and installation of the Block Island Wind Farm was integral to the process outlined in the Ocean SAMP and brought integrity and additional transparency to the project.”
“We are proud to have served as the CVA at the forefront of offshore wind energy development in North America,” adds Torsten Muuss, ABS Group’s director of renewables. “Through our technical inspection and verification services, ABS Group is committed to supporting safer, more reliable assets and operations for the global renewables industry.”
