Global renewable energy consultancy OWC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with APEM, through its subsidiary GoBe Consultants, to collaborate on delivering integrated technical solutions for offshore wind decommissioning in the UK.
The partnership will support UK clients in de-risking, planning, and executing decommissioning campaigns with confidence. Under the terms of the agreement, OWC and APEM will collaborate on a project-by-project basis.
The partnership combines OWC’s offshore wind engineering, project expertise, and environmental advisory with APEM’s environmental, consenting and regulatory capabilities.
The collaboration comes at a pivotal time for the UK offshore wind sector, with approximately 5GW of UK offshore wind capacity expected to reach the end of its life in the early to mid-2030s, prompting owners to decide whether to repower or decommission their assets.
Around 1GW of RD1 capacity is expected to be decommissioned beginning in 2026–2027, with decommissioning campaigns forecast to peak between 2032 and 2034.
“Offshore wind decommissioning is the next and inevitable frontier of the UK energy transition. As we accelerate deployment, we must also address how to safely and commercially decommission the UK’s first generation of assets. As a non-productive cost, getting decommissioning right is critical not only for asset owners but also for the credibility of the wider industry,” said Cliff Pullen, director of asset management and Investment at OWC.
“Decommissioning is fast becoming a critical focus for the offshore wind sector, but it is not simply the end of a project lifecycle, it requires the same level of strategic planning, environmental consideration and technical integration as offshore development,” added Nikki Young, associate director at GoBe Consultants.
