Montague, Poole’s Corner, and Stratford
Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA) has been in operation since 1996. The company was formed by Jason Aspin and Neale Kemp, and is headquartered in Jason’s hometown in Montague, PEI.
The company designs systems, works with customers on solutions, manufactures and tests products, and installs and maintains them all over the world. In 2017, MAN Energy Solutions purchased a 40-percent stake in AKA.
Jared MacDonald, Sales Manager, AKA, talked about two projects being developed at the 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Pooles Corner. The Deep Water Class is the world’s first drill ship that can use the energy created by moving up and down with the waves and put it into the operation of the ship or store it.
They are also working on a land-based microgrid system using traditional and renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and thermal.
“Every system we sell can be monitored remotely, so that engineers on PEI can access data generated in Singapore or Korea or China,” says Jared. “That technology allows us to service global interests right here from PEI.
“Human resources are one of our top concerns. Our company is a technically focused system solution provider, so recruiting to keep the company on the cutting edge has been a challenge. Of our 100-plus employees, we have people from all over the world who speak over 20 languages. To continue to grow, we are working with government and educational institutions to find the right talent.”
Over the past 20 years, Aspin Kemp and Associates has served the oil and gas, marine, and land-based power and propulsion industries. AKA is located in Montague, where they have a 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility, engineering center, and headquarters, with a team of around 100 people.
“We design innovative engineering projects as well as building entire power and propulsion systems for vessels and drilling rigs,” says Tobia Wiedemer.
“These vessels operate globally. The newest series of drilling vessels is considered the most technologically advanced, and has been breaking drilling and fuel reduction records. AKA has been able to cut fuel consumption over 40 percent on these vessels, which is a huge step changer in the industry. They also show significant reliability, safety, and operational cost improvements.”
After working as a world leader in Marine microgrid development, AKA is now applying what they learned to land-based power systems. “An electrical system on a vessel functions as its own microgrid, with its own power generation. All power consumption is managed ‘off-grid’ on the vessel, since at sea there is no connection to land-based power.
“The knowledge AKA has built working on these marine and offshore systems is now being brought to our land-based microgrids.
“An example of an application of AKA’s microgrid technology can be seen in manufacturing facilities. We are converting our Pooles Corner manufacturing plant into a microgrid with solar, various forms of energy storage, and an energy management system which will be managed by ourselves based on the plant’s needs and operational requirements.
“The microgrid technology concept can also be applied to larger grids such as a municipality. We are looking at different areas, such as Northern Canada, where installing a microgrid will allow less dependence on the grid supply, enable utilization of renewable energy, and improve infrastructure for businesses and homes.”
AKA is currently hiring the following positions: Purchasing Specialist, Warehouse Clerk, Manufacturing Technicians, Electrical EITs, Senior Project Manager, Technical Writer, Software Developer, SCADA Engineer, and Embedded Controls & Software Engineer.
For information about Aspin Kemp & Associates, contact Tobia Wiedemer at 902-620-4882. To apply for a position, send your resumé to [email protected]. Visit www.aka-group.com.