Global Wind Service opens a Canadian business unit, extending its North American footprint nine years after entering the US

Global Wind Service (GWS) is establishing a dedicated local business unit in Canada, extending a North American presence that began when the Danish company opened its US office in 2017^[1]. The move adds Canada to a network that already spans more than 40 countries and over 2,000 completed projects.

What the new unit will do

GWS said the Canadian unit will support customers across North America with wind turbine installation and service capabilities^[1], drawing on the full range of services the company already delivers from its US base. Those services include:

• Onshore and offshore installation and commissioning
• Service and maintenance
• Blade services
• High-voltage services
• Repowering and specialised project execution^[1]

The company said a local presence will allow it to work more closely with customers, partners, and local stakeholders while applying its international experience^[1].

How the US operation evolved

GWS entered the United States in 2017, initially focused on onshore installation and repowering^[1]. The US organisation subsequently expanded into offshore execution. Its US offshore project list includes Block Island, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Vineyard Wind 1, South Fork, and Dominion^[1] - a portfolio that tracks the early build-out of the American offshore market almost project by project.

GWS was founded in 2008 and employs more than 1,700 people globally, with established business units in eleven countries before the Canadian addition.

The Canadian market context

Canada's wind sector gives GWS a market with room to grow. Canada held roughly 18 GW of installed wind capacity at the end of 2024, a 35% increase over five years. The Canadian Renewable Energy Association projects installed wind, solar, and storage capacity to grow by a third in the next four years and double within a decade.

Offshore wind is also opening up. Canada's federal government brought Bill C-49 into force on 31 January 2025, extending the regulatory authority of the Atlantic offshore energy boards to cover wind power for the first time in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Subject to permitting, Canada's first offshore wind farm is expected to come online in Nova Scotia around 2030.

The combination of an accelerating onshore pipeline and an emerging offshore regulatory framework is the backdrop against which GWS is planting its flag.

What to watch

The announcement does not name specific Canadian projects or customers, so the near-term test will be whether GWS can convert its US offshore credentials - particularly on projects like South Fork and Vineyard Wind 1 - into early contracts on the Atlantic coast. The pace of Nova Scotia's offshore permitting process will be the most direct signal of how quickly that opportunity materialises.