Whitfield Consulting Services (WCS) is expanding its UK presence with the opening of a new office in Scotland this October, headed up by Shane Govender PrEng CEng MICE, Principal Civil Engineer at Whitfield Consulting Services.
Joining WCS’ existing offices in London and Northern Ireland, the new Edinburgh office will provide a permanent local base, building on the company’s existing project experience in Scotland and across the UK and Ireland.
Managing Director Asa Whitfield explains:
“Scotland has a fantastic civil engineering heritage, and today it is at the heart of another major engineering undertaking. With significant public and private investment driving renewable energy and infrastructure development, there is a real sense of momentum behind the transition to net zero. We want WCS to be part of that story.”
Supporting Scotland’s infrastructure investment
Power & Energy will be a key focus for the new office, building on WCS’ strong reputation for providing civil engineering design across regulated and non-regulated projects. This includes transmission and distribution, grid infrastructure, renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS).
The team will also draw on WCS’ wider Rail and Civils & Structures capability, including bridges, roads, drainage and culverts, retaining structures, structural assessments, and geotechnical and foundation design.
“Our depth of experience gives us the capability to support clients across a broad range of infrastructure projects.” Shane says.
“We work with network operators, principal contractors, integrators and developers, often on complex projects where civil, structural and electrical requirements need to be coordinated closely. The value we bring is being able to anticipate challenges early, stay close to what is happening on site and respond quickly when issues arise, helping clients keep projects moving.”
This breadth of experience is particularly relevant to projects in more remote locations.
“Many Scottish projects are in remote or coastal locations where the supporting infrastructure itself can create engineering challenges,” Asa says. “Roads and bridges may need upgrading or strengthening to enable major energy and infrastructure schemes to go ahead, so there is a real opportunity to apply experience from across our different sectors.”
WCS is already active in Scotland, including on the live Keith BESS project in Moray, while previous work has included a feasibility study for 349MW Blackhillock BESS in Aberdeenshire.
“Building on the work we are already delivering in Scotland, and with the number of opportunities and projects increasing, we felt the time was right to establish a permanent local presence,” Asa adds.
“Having a team in Scotland gives clients a clear, local point of contact and the reassurance that we have people on the ground who can support their work.”
Read more about WCS’ early-stage work at Blackhillock
Experienced leadership in Scotland
Shane is an experienced civil engineer with a strong background in Power & Energy and complex infrastructure projects. Prior to joining WCS, he worked across southern Africa and on international projects, gaining experience in high-voltage substations, overhead lines and associated civil and structural infrastructure. Since 2023, he has worked with WCS on BESS, substations, grid infrastructure and rail projects across the UK.
Shane shares, “My experience has taken me across different countries, project environments and stages of delivery, from feasibility and detailed design through to supporting construction teams on site. I’m looking forward to bringing that experience to more projects in Scotland and helping clients solve the practical challenges that arise throughout delivery.”
Asa adds, “Shane is the right person to lead the office. He combines strong technical experience with a proven ability to lead on complex projects and build close relationships with clients. He is already working with clients in Scotland, so he understands the opportunities and challenges first-hand. His collaborative approach and focus on being responsive to clients will be a real strength as we grow our presence and team in Scotland.”
Learn more about Shane Govender and his international engineering experience
Building WCS’ team in Scotland
The new office represents the next stage in WCS’ continued growth, with Shane leading the development of a permanent Scotland-based team supported by the company’s wider directors, technical specialists and leadership team.
“Shane will lead the new team in Scotland. He has already demonstrated that capability on previous projects, where he has taken responsibility for building and leading engineering teams on major infrastructure works,” says Asa.
“Our ambition is to grow the team as opportunities and workload develop, while keeping it closely connected to the wider WCS business through continual collaboration and support. We are committed to building a long-term presence in the region, and it is an exciting next step for WCS.”
Looking for an experienced civil engineering design partner for your next Power & Energy, Rail or Civils & Structures project in Scotland? Get in touch with WCS to discuss how we can support you.
