Two firms selected to provide engineering services at offshore windfarms
Renewable energy consultancy OWC and Empire Engineering will provide engineering services at the Ayre and Bowden offshore windfarms, part of the Thistle Wind Partners (TWP). They will offer technical packages as well as overall project management.
Included in the technical packages, OWC will be responsible for comprising cables, onshore civils and electricals, wind resource and layouts, and wind turbine generators (WTD). Empire Engineering will supply owner’s engineering services for the foundation packages of both offshore wind farms.
Key technical documents will be reviewed and drafted by Empire Engineering as part of the foundation package, including employers design basis and employers requirements for design, fabrication, and installation. Technical support will also be provided for concept selection workshops, benchmark EPCI costs, assess contractor proposals, commercial terms, and review critical design deliverables.
Lee Goulding, TWP ‘s engineering and technical director, said: "Together, the Ayre and Bowdun offshore wind farms will deliver 2GW of offshore wind capacity, bringing us a step closer to Scotland's offshore wind targets. Each project presents differing design requirements across floating and fixed-foundation technologies. By awarding the foundation lot to Empire Engineering, we’re engaging a team with proven expertise and the practical insight needed to support successful delivery as the projects move into their next phase.”
To ensure alignment with certification standards and bankability requirements across all project phases, Empire Engineer will be tasked with undertaking independent technical reviews and adequacy assessments.
Thistle Wind Partners is a consortium made up of DEME, Qair, and Aspiravi. OWC will be supporting the consortium throughout the projects life cycle, from concept selection to further design phases.
Benoit Briere, head of floating wind at Empire Engineering, said: “We’re proud to be supporting Thistle Wind Partners as owner’s engineer for the foundation package on the Ayre and Bowdun offshore wind farms. With both floating and fixed-foundation systems involved, these projects bring unique technical challenges – the kind our team is passionate about solving. It’s a privilege to contribute to projects that will play a meaningful role in Scotland’s energy transition."
OWC will have overall owners engineer project management responsibility across both projects, operating from their Glasgow office. An integrated interdisciplinary team will execute plans.
The team consists of experts in project management, integration and delivery, electrical systems, cables, onshore civils, wind and site conditions, WTGs, geoscience, metocean, operations, and maintenance. Additional transport and installation support will come from OWC’s sister company ABL.
Kate Johanessen, OWC’s country manager in Scotland, said: "We are very pleased to be working together with Empire Engineering to deliver owner's engineering services across these two complex, ground-breaking projects in Scotland. It's our mission to support the holistic optimisation of the project design and delivery strategy from the pre-FEED stage towards implementation, paying close attention to risk identification and mitigation alongside facilitating the development of a sound business case.”
Ayre and Bowdun consists of one floating and one fixed project. The 1 GW Ayre floating offshore windfarm is 33km from the closest inhabitable point on Orkney, Deerness, Scotland. It covers roughly 200 square kilometres.
The fixed 1GW Bowdun offshore windfarm covers 187 square kilometres and is 44km off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland.
