UK-based Venterra Group announced two new business developments within its group of companies over the past few days, as INSPIRE Environmental expanded into Scotland and GeoForce Technical Services launched an advanced geotechnical soil testing capability.
INSPIRE Environmental has opened a permanent operational base in Aberdeen, aimed at supporting offshore wind projects across Scotland, the UK and wider Europe.
The company said the new location enables rapid mobilisation of marine environmental teams and strengthens access to expertise across survey, consenting, construction support and long‑term monitoring. The company’s capabilities include benthic and fisheries science, underwater acoustics, nature‑based design and environmental data services.
Venterra says INSPIRE’s expansion comes at a pivotal moment for the UK market, with Scotland preparing for large-scale build-out following its ScotWind and INTOG rounds, and the UK government awarding 8.4 GW of offshore wind capacity through the AR7 auction.
In Scotland, the benthic survey guidance has been updated, signalling a clear expectation for fit-for-purpose evidence, while the UK’s latest round accelerates a pipeline where success will also increasingly depend on environmental performance, consenting confidence, and local delivery, according to Venterra, which noted that policy in the UK is also tightening around underwater noise and marine mammal protection, with Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) mitigation guidance embedded in the consenting process.
“We’re bringing our full toolkit for benthic and fisheries surveys, state-of-the-art marine acoustic modelling, and advanced data analytics, to provide the best possible data to inform the development of sustainable and responsible offshore energy projects. That means cost-effective, defensible science that stands up to scrutiny and provides the foundation for Nature-Based Design. Together with Oceanscan and the broader Venterra Group, we aim to achieve meaningful environmental outcomes at scale”, said Annie Murphy , Senior Director and Head of UK at INSPIRE Environmental.
Shortly after the news about INSPIRE expanding into Scotland, Venterra announced that GeoForce Technical Services, part of Oceanscan within the Venterra Group, launched an expanded geotechnical soil testing capability that includes a 24/7 on‑board soils laboratory and enhanced onshore testing to provide end‑to‑end offshore site investigation from acquisition through reporting.
The first project under the new offering was delivered for offshore survey company Sulmara, combining cone penetration testing (CPT), vibrocorer operations and thermal resistivity testing. GeoForce teams collected more than 500 metres of soil samples and over 300 metres of CPT data, processed in real time to inform design and delivery decisions.
“We’ve invested to close the loop, from high ‑quality offshore acquisition to rapid, reliable testing and reporting. The Sulmara project is a strong proof point for the model”, said James McDonald , Managing Director of GeoForce.