COWI North America, a subsidiary of engineering company COWI, has achieved approval certification body DNV for its offshore wind turbine foundations design for Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 offshore New York.
COWI developed optimized foundation designs for 54 15MW turbines, set to generate 810MW, which has now been approved by DNV.
The design not only exceeds industry standards, but also minimizes the steel weight, reducing both costs and embodied carbon, according to COWI.
This achievement was a product of extensive collaboration across COWI's U.S. and global network, involving a multitude of engineers from different specialisms including structural, geotechnics, hydrodynamics, electrical, health and safety highlighting the company's commitment to leveraging its diverse expertise and knowledge.
As part of the design process, COWI implemented advanced methods to analyse and model the behavior of the complex soil conditions where the foundations will be installed.
This was crucial to ensure the structure's stability and safety, as understanding the soil's properties and behavior helped COWI design foundations that could withstand various stresses and loads.
Additionally, COWI conducted thorough research which enhanced estimates of wave run-up loads on monopile structures for offshore wind turbines, advancing structural design significantly, allowing for more precise structural designs of offshore wind turbines under extreme wave conditions without compromising on safety.
“We are thrilled to play a key role in the Empire Wind project and to see our wind turbine foundation design approved. The project is pivotal in supporting New York State’s goal of achieving 70% renewable energy by 2030. We are thankful to Equinor for giving us the opportunity to collaborate with them, providing innovation and value to Empire Wind 1,” said Greg Matzat, Vice President and Market Director for Offshore Renewables at COWI North America.
The fabrication phase of the monopiles will start in August 2024, with completion and installation planned during the summer of 2025.
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