Engineering and operations support services contractor ODE, part of the DORIS Group, is preparing to set up field demonstration sites to test its Articulated Wind Column (AWC) designed for water depths of up to 200 metres.
The sites will be in around 90 metres (300ft) water depth and the turbines are expected to be in the range of 6-8MW, ODE said, adding that a total capacity of up to 100MW is envisioned.
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 70m to 200m.
Constructed of concrete, or alternatively all in steel, with an articulated joint at the foundation’s base, the column is said to provide an alternative to floating platforms, opening up development opportunities in deeper locations closer to shore, at lower cost.
“The AWC solution is an extension to proven technology with more than a dozen deployments as offshore loading columns in the harsh North Sea environment. The structural design and use of concrete as the primary material results in a design which is less prone to price volatility and is highly amenable to mass production and versatile construction methods that enable the use of infrastructure and capabilities which are local to the offshore wind farm location,” Dan Woodman, ODE’s Business Development Manager North America said.
On behalf of other partners, MEES & DORIS Engineering, ODE will be presenting AWC at the International Offshore Partnering Forum in Annapolis, Maryland, United States on 20 April.