Provision of an Offshore Technical Advisory Team

Tender description

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (“CRU”) is Ireland’s independent energy and water regulator. Our work impacts Irish homes and businesses ensuring safe, secure and sustainable energy and water supplies for all customers. The CRU’s mission is to protect the public interest in Water, Energy and Energy Safety. The CRU is guided by four strategic priorities that sit alongside the core activities we undertake to deliver on the public interest. These are: - Ensure security of supply - Drive a low carbon future - Empower and protect customers - Enable our people and organisational capacity The technical services required relate specifically to the offshore wind team in the CRU. The offshore wind team sits within the Decarbonisation division in the CRU. Offshore wind is a new, complex, and multi-faceted area of policy for the CRU driven by the national policy statements on offshore grid development. Government Policy Statements have established a new Offshore Transmission Asset Owner (EirGrid) as well as detailing how offshore wind generation projects will be connected to the grid in two distinct policy phases over the next decade, moving from decentralised to centralised grid development (i.e., from developer to TAO/TSO planned). The latest Policy Statement (“Future Framework” – post 2030) continues the theme of a centralised plan led model and introduces new Designated Maritime Area Plans (DMAPs). The very large scale and technical complexity of the planning, development, construction and operation of the new offshore grid (and associated deep reinforcements of the onshore grid) will result in significant challenges to ensure efficiency of cost for offshore wind generation projects bidding into support auctions (based on EirGrid standards and technical specifications). The CRU therefore requires significant internationally experienced offshore technical assistance in this new area for Ireland to ultimately ensure the best outcomes for the electricity consumer and the ability for Ireland to meet its climate action goals. The CRU offshore team is seeking an expert Offshore technical advisory team to support the offshore team on two key activities over the coming years: - 2030 Readiness – Offshore Technical Advisory team to support and monitor progress of delivery of Phase 1 offshore wind projects. - Operational matters – ongoing operational offshore technical advice. See Associated Documents for further information relating to this competition CFT 3771500. Note to EO's - The CRU recommends that all interested EOs associate with this CFT to ensure they received updates and notifications when issued. Additionally, we recommend that EOs Zip files on submission to ensure the naming convention does not alter.