Coastal Environments, Wessex Archaeology Launch CEWA

Coastal Environments and Wessex Archaeology Ventures have entered into an agreement to create CEWA, a jointly-owned US corporation headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The new venture will create a business specifically to deliver expert advice and cultural heritage permitting services to the growing US offshore renewables market.

Wessex Archaeology will contribute technical knowledge and 17 years of marine archaeological experience in the North Sea, where the organization has supplied services for over 90% of all the UK’s offshore wind farm schemes. Coastal Environments will provide its understanding of the US marine market and a proven track record of successful BOEM-compliant marine archaeological submissions in support of offshore development.

This increased expertise and capacity will ensure that the geophysical datasets produced by offshore renewable schemes can be accurately and efficiently interrogated in the timeframe required to ensure smooth and rapid progress through the permitting system.

Chairman of CEWA and Wessex Archaeology, Dr Ian Selby, said: “This partnership marks the start of an exciting chapter for our organizations within a growing global market. As sector-leaders in the US and Europe, we are confident that CEWA will represent a unique heritage proposition for offshore developers, with high-quality services based on unparalleled experience, talented and specialist staff using the latest technologies, and the capacity to deliver on time and within budget.”

CEWA’s principal investigator, Dr Amanda Evans, will be backed by a multi-disciplinary team, including Wessex Archaeology’s expert team of marine geophysical and geoarchaeological analysts.