AWC Tech

AWC Tech Ltd, based in South East England, was established to pioneer renewable energy solutions within deep marine and offshore environments. The company draws upon decades of collective experience from the offshore oil & gas and renewable energy sectors. They have developed and patented the Articulated Wind Column (AWC), a floating wind column designed to support wind turbines in deep offshore waters.

This innovative design is articulated at the base, reducing forces on the column and foundation, and requires minimal seabed preparation, eliminating the need for piles and mooring lines. The AWC technology is built on a foundation of 50 years of Oil & Gas experience, offering a robust and simple concrete construction. Key benefits include suitability for 90-200m water depths, a small marine-friendly footprint, and integrated electrical cable support within the column to minimise damage potential.

The system is designed for attractive economics through an industrialised process, avoiding the need for Heavy Lift Vessels and offering potential for re-powering for a second 25-year lifespan, alongside significant local job creation. The company's approach to fabrication involves the Gantry Slipforming Methodology, often supported on pontoons or barges, allowing for the construction of columns in sections. These sections are then joined and post-tensioned.

Installation involves towing the AWC to site and ballasting it down for a controlled descent onto the seabed, where it is ballasted for stability. The flexibility of this installation process allows it to adapt to production capacity, weather windows, or component availability, enabling immediate turbine installation or leaving the foundation ready for later deployment.