Meet the Team: Rob Spice, Lead Project Engineer | OWC Australia
At OWC, our teams are constantly expanding, into more locations, in expertise and in sectors of influence, so that our people can truly drive safety and sustainability across our energy and oceans.
Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we invite you to get to know our team members so you can meet the energy behind change. This week, we introduce Rob Spice – our lead project engineer, specialising in offshore wind consultancy and electrical and cable engineering, as part of OWC’s team in Australia, based in Melbourne.
What does your day-to-day look like at OWC?
I’m fortunate to sit within two business lines in OWC, Engineering (electrical and cable teams) and Project Services so my time is split between these activities on a weekly if not daily basis.
I start with a coffee whilst I catch-up on my US and European colleague’s work from the previous day then organise my time with priority tasks. These can include technical project work for the electrical engineering team or cable team, project management activities on live projects with the APAC region, proposal development and client engagement or supporting colleagues internally with the development of new services and capabilities.
I report to our Australian country manager with whom our focus is supporting the growing offshore renewable and existing onshore renewable energy industry here in the region.
What inspired you to join your industry?
I have worked in the renewable energy industry my entire career starting in 2018, when I completed my MSc in Renewable Energy Engineering whilst working on an Innovate UK project to develop a prototype floating platform for tidal energy.
My decision to join the industry dates to the second year of my undergraduate degree in Motorsport Engineering when I realised I would be more excited to apply the skills I was learning to offshore renewable systems and projects than to the automotive industry.
Whilst studying my MSc I also took part in a consultancy progamme run by the university and worked with a local restaurant chain to audit their energy use and develop concepts for its reduction. The combination of these two things is how I find myself working as a renewable energy engineering consultant today.
Can you tell us a bit about something exciting you are working on right now?
Presently I am working to support projects and proposals here in Australia and in Korea. These include an early-stage feasibility study seeking to investigate technical solutions for Offshore Wind Farm (OWF) development considering both conventional and alternative power take-off for the project and later stage engineering. I am also working on project development support to an OWF developer in Korea which will draw on OWC and the wider ABL Group’s range of technical capabilities.
This proposal is an excellent opportunity for me to understand the two service lines I sit within.
What does the future look like in energy and oceans?
We are aware of the pressures facing the development of offshore renewables and energy projects and I think the future needs to look like collaboration. Within regions, between disciplines and among stakeholders be they environmental, governmental, technical or financial.
Find out more about OWC’s offering and team in Australia, to support the development of renewable energy projects onshore and offshore, from our recent news in the region:
- Understanding Australia’s Geological Challenges for Offshore Wind. Read the article in full.
- Meet Damien Pasco: OWC’s New Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Read the article in full.
- Damien Pasco to lead OWC in Australia and New Zealand. Read the article in full.
- Australia Offshore Wind Market Overview. Read the article in full.