Engineering tomorrow’s energy infrastructure: Coffey’s growth journey

As Ireland races to decarbonise its energy system, civil engineering plays a crucial but unseen role. Behind turbines, bioenergy plants and grid-stabilisation technologies sit the foundations, roads, drainage and reinforced structures that make renewable projects possible. For more than 50 years, Coffey has been one of the companies building that backbone.

Founded in 1974 by brothers Paddy and Tom Coffey, the company quickly established itself as a leader in infrastructure delivery. From Ireland’s first motorway bridge in 1983 to the State’s first commercial wind farm in 1991, Coffey has helped shape modern Ireland. Today, it applies that experience to an urgent challenge: engineering the transition to clean, secure energy.

In the early 2000s, Coffey delivered Ireland’s first design and build wastewater treatment plant, proving it could integrate civil, mechanical and process engineering within a single delivery model. That multidisciplinary capability now supports its growing role in renewable energy.

Engineering excellence at the core

Coffey’s purpose is simple but ambitious: enhancing communities through engineering excellence. It has guided the business for decades, underpinning a model built on collaboration, technical rigour and integrity.

The company works across energy, water, transport, and civil engineering, delivering projects through a self-delivery ethos and a directly employed workforce. This ensures quality, safety and accountability at every stage.

Recognition has followed. Coffey’s health, safety, quality and environmental performance is award-winning, with senior leaders contributing to industry standards through IOSH, CIF and other bodies. For clients, this provides confidence that large, time-critical projects can be delivered safely and effectively.

Delivering energy security

Coffey’s recent projects show how civil engineering underpins Ireland’s energy future.

On a recent fast-track emergency generation project, Coffey delivered all civil works for open-cycle gas turbines with a collective capacity above 260MW. The site operated 24/7 and required extensive piling, reinforced concrete, high voltage ducting and the safe excavation and disposal of 85,000 tonnes of contaminated soils. With up to 160 personnel at peak, the team mobilised quickly and maintained progress under intense schedule pressure.

Further south, Coffey is supporting a new 300MW facility designed to run on sustainable biofuels, with flexibility to convert to hydrogen. In parallel, the company is delivering a synchronous condenser installation that will help stabilise the grid as renewable generation expands.

Coffey is also currently constructing a bioenergy plant that will process up to 90,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste each year using anaerobic digestion to produce renewable electricity.

These projects build on a long energy track record that includes delivery work for Ireland’s first wind farm and a substation supporting one of the world’s largest offshore wind developments in the UK. Together, they show Coffey’s ability to support technologies ranging from early renewables to next-generation infrastructure.

A strategy for growth

Energy is central to Coffey’s long-term growth strategy. The company reported revenues of €140 million in 2024 and has set a target of €500 million by 2035. Growth will come from a balanced portfolio across energy, water, transport and civil engineering, with energy a strategic priority. The plan is about depth as well as scale. By investing in technical capability, partnerships and innovative delivery models, Coffey aims to provide the infrastructure solutions that Ireland and the UK will need over the next decade.

“Our vision is to be the company that clients trust, people choose, and communities rely on for engineering excellence that delivers real impact,” says CEO Odran Madden. “The transition to renewable energy requires deep expertise in civil engineering, delivered with innovation and collaboration. These are Coffey’s strengths, and we are committed to playing a leading role in Ireland’s energy future.”

This vision is underpinned by Coffey’s winning ways: customer centricity, empowering people and engineering solutions. The focus is on building lasting partnerships, enabling its workforce and applying technical excellence to complex challenges.

Civil engineering and the energy transition

The visible elements of renewable projects are turbines, panels or generating units. Less visible, but as critical, are the enabling works: foundations, access roads, ducting, drainage systems and reinforced structures. These determine how well assets perform, how long they last and how safely they integrate into the energy system.

Coffey has specialist expertise in trenchless technology, piling, ground stabilisation and complex civil engineering. Its background in water and wastewater also complements the needs of energy projects, particularly in bioenergy and emerging hydrogen production.

Engineering tomorrow’s infrastructure

Coffey’s structure reflects its long-term commitment to the markets it serves. With teams in Ireland and the UK, supported by Coftec, its specialist water technology subsidiary, the company is positioned for sustained growth. Coftec focuses on modular solutions and design for manufacture, providing scalable approaches that align with demand for innovation and speed of delivery.

As a family-owned business, Coffey operates with values at its core. Integrity, collaboration and technical excellence are daily practices that guide relationships with clients, partners and communities. Combined with a proven record of delivery, they position Coffey as a trusted partner for renewable energy developers, utilities and public bodies.

A trusted partner for the renewable age

The coming decade will reshape Ireland’s energy system. Achieving a renewable-led grid will require not only new generation technologies but also partners who can deliver enabling infrastructure with precision and reliability.

From pioneering Ireland’s first wind farm to supporting today’s bioenergy, hydrogen-ready and grid-stability projects, Coffey has shown it can meet that challenge. With clear ambition, proven expertise and a values-driven culture, the company is ready to play a central role in engineering tomorrow’s energy infrastructure.

As the company enters its next chapter, one thing remains constant: Coffey will continue to enhance communities through engineering excellence, as it has for more than 50 years.

Get in touch

To explore how Coffey can support your next energy or infrastructure project, contact:

John Gibbons, Energy Director
E: jgibbons@coffeygroup.com
W: www.coffeygroup.com