Codling Offshore wind park Development stage project management, marine consenting, planning services, engineering and procurement for Codling offshore wind park

What was the aim of the work?

Natural Power has been involved on the Codling project since its conception in the early 2000s. In 2005, we gained consent and a lease for a 220- turbine 1.1GW project for Codling Wind Park Under the 1936 Foreshore act. In 2009, we prepared an application for consent for the Codling Wind Park Extension, which is a 1GW site to the south of the former site. In 2014, viable route to market and grid connection issues delayed the project until 2019. After the Irish government announced its Climate Action Plan in 2019 for 70% renewables by 2030, which includes at least 3.5GW of offshore wind by 2030, the project owners decided to reinitiate the project. Since then, we have been providing overall project management, planning, environmental, ecological and engineering services.

The overall aim of the services is to secure a grid connection and manage the project’s surveys, front-end engineering and Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) to allow for a successful planning application through the new Marine Planning and Development Management (MPDM) Bill and An Bord Pleanála. This is in addition to providing an efficiently designed site so its levelised cost of energy (LCOE) will allow for a successful RESS auction bid.

What was the outcome?

Natural Power has successfully reinitiated the project and started bird and marine mammal surveys. We have also started working on and managing several of the specific work packages for the design of the project. EDF bought over the Hazelshore share of the project in February 2020, and Natural Power has acted to ensure the continuity of the project’s project management and planning services. We continue to represent the project in liaison with all major stakeholders.

Overall, the project is now in a position from where it can progress to a planning application.

What did Natural Power do to get this result?

Natural Power's involvement with Codling Wind Park and offshore wind in Ireland, and successful offshore EIA production and planning application experience in Ireland, the UK and France has been used in successfully positioning Codling Wind Park as a "Relevant Project" under the MPDM. We have used our own in-house broad offshore experience; ability to successfully build relationships and manage stakeholders; and our relationship with our supply chain to get the project into this position.

Project stats at a glance:

• Maximum number of 140 turbines across 125 square km projects site.

• A total installed capacity of between 900 MW and 1,500 MW.

• Maximum turbine capacity is expected to be 16 MW.

• Individual turbine tip heights expected to be a maximum of 320 m.

• Equivalent of 1.2 million Irish homes provided with renewable electricity.

• Providing 70 full-time long-term jobs.