Owner’s engineer services

As an owner’s engineer, Arup acts as a trusted partner to help derisk and deliver complex engineering projects, ensuring the project objectives and wider outcomes for the community and environment are realised. Our clients benefit from over 50 years’ experience designing and overseeing the delivery of vital energy, water and transport infrastructure around the world, applying global insights to local conditions and connecting to a multinational, inter industry network.

The role of owner’s engineer varies across client, industry and project, but broadly consists of providing a range of technical, delivery and leadership skills to help our clients successfully execute their projects. This could include a full suite of technical disciplines and oversight across the project lifecycle or could be targeted support for a particular aspect or technical discipline where additional capacity or capability is needed.

Deep expertise, flexible support

Drawing on the breadth and depth of technical, delivery, commercial and regulatory expertise across Arup enables us to provide the right competencies at whatever scale is needed to complement our clients’ inhouse teams.

From project initiation through construction support to commissioning new facilities into operation, we embed ourselves as an extension of the client’s team to deliver strategic benefit and support the overall business case and project objectives. With a sharp focus on our client's goals, we bring clarity, competence and creative thinking to drive innovative solutions, ensuring projects are not only technically and commercially robust, but also environmentally and socially responsible.

Case study

NeuConnect

As the first of its kind cross-border HV interconnector, the NeuConnect project directly connects the UK and German markets via a 1.4GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) sub-sea cable – enough to power 1.5 million homes. 

Arup’s expertise has been integral to NeuConnect since 2019 – initially supporting contractor procurement and regulatory submissions and later embedding experienced staff within the client team. From the early development stages, we provided expertise as owner's engineer to manage technical, commercial and operational interfaces with UK and German TSOs.

When major construction began in summer 2023, we scaled our team to provide specialist input across multiple disciplines required for an interconnector of this scale - helping deliver a ground-breaking project critical to the energy transition.

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Independent design assurance

During early project phases, we scope the project, establish the technical and performance requirements, undertake feasibility studies and set the delivery strategy. For example, developing the project’s basis of design and project development schedule.

We oversee the engineering process and check adherence to the design throughout project execution and commissioning. This provides independent technical assurance that the design meets the required regulatory, safety and quality standards as well as the scheme’s performance expectations.

Case study

Selemela Solar PV Project 1

Having worked with SOLA Group before on complex projects, the same Arup team provided owner’s engineering services for Selemela Solar PV Project 1. We carried out a detailed design review, calling on our global multidisciplinary expertise to ensure every aspect of the design would support SOLA Group’s aspirations for the project.

By ensuring seamless delivery and effective risk management, we have helped to minimize any quality and progress issues, as well as potential defects – saving time and costs.

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Managing risks and opportunities

Our multidisciplinary specialists bring a deep understanding of project drivers and of the interfaces between different systems and disciplines at each phase. Their hands-on, holistic approach helps to reduce risks and identify opportunities to deliver better outcomes.

Whether we’re supporting a major offshore wind development or advising on infrastructure upgrades, we focus on value-adding activities, using digital tools to streamline delivery of technical outputs, reduce costs and enhance transparency.

Case study

Aspen Floating Offshore Wind Farm

Arup has been Cerulean’s trusted partner since the seabed lease stage of the Aspen Floating Offshore Wind Farm, leading three bid submissions and establishing a strategy to maximize the likelihood of success as owner’s engineer.

Cerulean’s unique consortium delivery model engages key suppliers early in the project to optimise the schedule and improve integration. Our owner’s engineer and project delivery team recognised the value in this delivery model and enhanced its effectiveness by collaborating with industry-leading contractors, manufacturers and other consultancies to maximise value brought to the Aspen project.

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Clear communication

Establishing effective information management and document control systems at the outset ensures informed decision making and clarity for all project parties. Clear communication and a culture of open and honest reporting is key to resolving issues early. We believe our approach is fundamental to high degrees of success as we collaborate closely with vendors, project developers, consultants, contractors and other industry actors. Together we navigate complexity, ensure comprehensive risk mitigation and deliver world class outcomes.

In many cases, our role as owner’s engineer has expanded to project delivery partner.

Find out more about our project and programme management capability