Crossover Technology Aiming to Rival Floating Wind Foundations Gets UK Government Funding

Offshore Design Engineering Ltd (ODE) has been selected by AWC Technology Ltd to oversee the concept and pre-FEED works for the AWC Demonstration Project, one of the eleven projects which secured funding under the UK’s Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) Demonstration Programme .

The AWC Demonstration Project is centred on the continued development of the Articulated Wind Column technology, or AWC, a floating foundation suitable for wind turbines in deep-water areas with depths of between 80 and 250 metres.

The project focuses on an articulated joint which connects to a compliant vertical column with a base located on the seabed. The concept is based on articulated column technology that was originally developed for the Maureen offshore oil field in the North Sea.

The AWC model has been matured by stakeholders ODE and MEES into the technology seen today, AWC Technology said.

Following the project’s recent grant award of over GBP 750,000 from the UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), ODE has been selected as the engineering contractor to support the maturation of the AWC concept into a commercially viable technology.

As the engineering contractor, ODE will oversee the design and testing of the AWC technology and necessary analysis works.

Responsibilities on the project will include project management; CAPEX estimation; basis of design; geotechnical assessment; O&M and decommissioning; and certification strategy.

Work is expected to begin in February 2022.

Andrew Baker, Managing Director at ODE, said: ‘‘We are looking forward to providing engineering support to the Articulated Wind Column, a project which holds substantial promise to solve key challenges experienced across the offshore floating industry.”

Wind farm developer Enterprize Energy has selected the AWC Technology to provide the licence and design of its AWC technology for the USD 10 billion Urban Sea project offshore Ireland.

The Urban Sea project is expected to provide electricity to Bantry Bay, a green hydrogen/ammonia production and storage development on Whiddy Island. The 3.2GW wind farm will provide the power needed by the Bantry Bay facility with the AWC floating foundation used to maximise wind yields in deeper water by utilising its innovative articulated joint technology, AWC Technology said.

This is a landmark for the AWC as the concept is initially selected for widespread offshore deployment for the first time and nominated for other projects in Enterprise Energy’s international pipeline.

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