Offshore Design Engineering (ODE) on behalf of other partners, MEES & Doris Engineering, have introduced the Articulated Wind Column (AWC) as a cost-effective solution for mid to deep water environments. The Articulated Wind Column is a crossover technology with 40 years of use in the oil and gas industry re-engineered for offshore wind in mid to deep water environments of 70 metres to 200 metres.
Constructed of concrete, or alternatively all in steel, with an articulated joint at the foundation’s base it provides a robust, stable and a cost effective alternative to floating platforms opening up development opportunities in deeper locations closer to shore, at lower cost. Field demonstration sites in around 90 metres water depth are now being planned. Turbines are expected to be in the range of 6-8MW and a total capacity of up to 100MW is envisioned.
