04/10 October 2022: COWI, a leading international engineering consulting group, has been selected by Statkraft as owner’s engineer for the North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind farm. COWI will support Statkraft in preparing an auction application for the first offshore competition under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS-1) in Ireland.
COWI will be responsible for a broad scope of work for the proposed NISA wind farm, including foundation concept design, electrical design, construction, O&M port assessment and cost model development. Working against challenges in the marketplace, such as rising materials costs and pressures to increase renewable energy capacity, keeping the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) at the forefront of the application will be central to all work on the project. COWI brings strong experience to the project with offices located throughout the UK, whilst also having the ability to leverage its international engineering expertise having worked on more than 1,000 wind power projects to date.
Damian McGirr, Senior Market Director, COWI in the UK, said: “We work on landmark wind developments across the globe, and we’re delighted to be able to partner our international expertise with our local experience to ensure the best outcomes for our clients. Against the backdrop of a global energy crisis and inflationary pressures, projects like this become even more crucial in creating a cleaner, greener, and more secure future for those living in Ireland.”
Once operational, the NISA development will have the capacity to power over 500,000 homes with clean energy. If approved, the project will play an important role in helping Ireland meet its ambitions of reaching 80% renewable energy by 2030.
COWI and Statkraft are working to submit a bid by the end of 2022, ahead of the auction which is due to take place in the first half of 2023.
