Petrofac, a service provider to the energy industry, has appointed Phaedra Pritchard as New Head of Wind Operations and Maintenance (O&M), boosting its global offering in the wind sector.
Pritchard will be responsible for building and supporting Petrofac’s O&M service capability within the offshore wind sector, both in the UK and globally.
"Formerly of Semco Maritime, Phaedra brings more than 14 years’ industry experience and has a varied background in O&M, project management, and business support roles," Petrofac said.
Petrofac, best known for its oilfield services, has a 10-year track record in offshore wind, and, according to the company, currently 3,000 of its UK personnel support the operations and maintenance of clients’ offshore energy assets.
Pritchard will be based in Grimsby, recognizing the growth around Humber and Yorkshire in offshore wind and growing demand for Petrofac’s capabilities in this area, the company said Wednesday.
The UK government has committed to installing 40GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, four times current capacity. According to RenewableUK, this target could see offshore wind meeting half of the UK’s electricity needs in the same time period, meaning the sector will be a major driver of the energy transition, the company stressed.
John Pearson, COO, Petrofac New Energy Services, said: “We have been deploying our expertise in support of renewable energy projects since 2008 and our teams are expertly placed to leverage this experience and help advance the energy transition.
"Working alongside our O&M team, Phaedra will play a key role in leveraging our existing strengths and capabilities to grow our presence in the offshore wind market. Not only does she have a wealth of industry experience, but her extensive knowledge of working in the sector means that she is perfectly positioned to help support our goals for the region and beyond.”
Petrofac has built a name for itself in the offshore wind, with the design and fabrication of offshore wind substations, and in 2020 was appointed to design, supply, and install the High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) onshore and offshore substations for the Seagreen offshore wind farm project in Scotland.