US offshore wind supply chain outfit Liberty Green Logistics has moved into the digital space by acquiring Renewable Strategy Ltd.
Liberty Green adds a digital platform offering that includes marine coordination software, asset monitoring and other solutions to its factory-to-farm portfolio.
The acquisition also expands its footprint beyond the US.
Renewable Strategy’s software is used in Europe and the US, including its role as marine coordinator for Vineyard Wind, the first industrial-scale wind farm in the US.
“The acquisition of RSL demonstrates Liberty Green’s commitment to making strategic investments and acquisitions to provide supply chain solutions to the US offshore wind and maritime markets,” said Liberty Green chief executive Joshua Shapiro.
“This acquisition also marks Liberty Green’s first offshore wind services offering to the European and Asian regions.”
A offshoot of Philip Shapiro’s Liberty group, the Lake Success, New York-based Liberty Green is already involved in supporting the multimodal logistics, vessel and port needs of the burgeoning US offshore wind sector, with a focus on teaming up with partners in the maritime and renewables spaces.
The Renewable Strategy deal is seen as a way to diversify Liberty Green’s offerings in offshore wind with data aggregation in the form of marine coordination centre services, as well as with analytics.
The deal gives it capabilities to offer software as a service to offshore wind clients for asset management, operations and maintenance optimisation, and personnel and equipment tracking.
A source with knowledge of the companies said Liberty Green’s investment in Renewable Strategy also shows there are strategic opportunities in the offshore wind supply chain that go beyond hard assets.
It is not the first digital investment for the Liberty group, as car carrier operator Liberty Global Logistics has its own supply chain software and a team of developers.
Founded in 2013 by Elias and Natalie Dencker, London-based Renewable Strategy’s platforms include the data management solution RSL Software as well as a portable product for Global Wind Organisation training.
“RSL believes we have found the perfect match in Liberty,” said managing director Elias Dencker.
“The organisation’s capabilities from ship ownership, asset management, terminal operations, multimodal logistics and integrated technology investments create a pathway to accelerate RSL’s growth and customer base.”
He said Renewable Strategy will also benefit from being a US-domiciled business amid the strong outlook for the renewables and maritime sectors there.
