OWC, Empire Engineering Win Work on TWP’s Scottish Offshore Wind Farms

June 5, 2025, by Adnan Memija

Renewable energy consultancy OWC and Empire Engineering have been selected to provide owner’s engineering services for the 1 GW Ayre and 1 GW Bowdun offshore wind farms in Scotland.

The companies will support Thistle Wind Partners (TWP), a consortium of DEME, Qair, and Aspiravi, from concept selection through to further design phases.

OWC will act as the owner’s engineer for both offshore wind farms, covering three technical packages. These comprise cables, onshore civils and electricals, wind resource and layouts, and wind turbine generators.

Empire Engineering will provide owner’s engineering services for the foundation packages of both offshore wind farms.

Empire Engineering’s scope of work includes the reviewing and drafting of key technical documentation, such as the employer’s design basis and the employer’s requirements for design, fabrication, and installation. The company will also provide technical support during concept selection workshops, benchmark EPCI costs, assess contractor proposals and commercial terms, and review critical design deliverables.

In addition, the company will undertake independent technical reviews and adequacy assessments, ensuring alignment with certification standards and bankability requirements across all phases of the projects, according to the firm.

“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,” said Benoit Briere, Head of Floating Wind at Empire Engineering.

“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,” said Kate Johanessen, OWC’s Country Manager in Scotland.

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TWP started developing its projects in January 2022 after winning seabed lease options from Crown Estate Scotland.

Ayre is a 1 GW floating wind project planned to be built off the coast of Orkney, and Bowdun is a 1 GW fixed-bottom offshore wind project off the coast of Aberdeen.

The developer plans to commence construction of both wind farms in 2029, with the Ayre floating offshore wind farm being built in two separate phases. Both Ayre and the fixed-bottom Bowdun project are expected to be fully commissioned in 2033.