Particularities of International Construction Contracts in the Offshore Wind Industry

This is the original copy of the thesis submitted to the University of Copenhagen as part of the Master of Laws (LL.M) programme. This thesis won the European Society of Construction Law (ESCL) First Prize 2021; a chapter was subsequently published in the International Construction Law Review under the title - "The Applicability of FIDIC Contracts in Offshore Wind Projects".With the development of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is preparing for a better future and to fight towards achieving what is now considered basic human needs. The SGDs encompass different sectors, including the energy sector, at the core of my analysis. Particularly, Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy) focuses on ensuring “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.1 Offshore wind is a key source of energy and relatively young compared to other energy industries, and it presents a tremendous potential for achieving Goal 7.Offshore wind has been developing fast, and the players in the industry must learn and adapt to the innovations that occur within it. One of the challenges faced by the parties involved in a construction contract in the offshore wind industry is the variety of international construction contract standards that are available and how they need to be adapted in order to fit the needs of the offshore wind industry.This thesis provides an overview and analysis of the current contractual challenges related to the industry, of the main ways of navigating through such construction contracts, and of the key points that parties should consider if they want to go along with an international construction standard contract