Gazelle Wind Power has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maersk Supply Service to support the development of a 2 MW pilot floating wind turbine using Gazelle’s hybrid platform at the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN).
Maersk Supply Service will provide the project’s engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI), which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.
Through Maersk’s expertise in providing EPCI services, as well as their global offshore project execution in the marine sector, this partnership is the next step in bringing Gazelle’s patented, breakthrough hybrid floating wind platform and first-of-its-kind dynamic mooring system to the commercial market, the Dublin-based company said.
Having demonstrated the capabilities of its technology with a statement of feasibility by DNV, Gazelle’s platform is said to successfully combine the top attributes of the most popular floating offshore wind platform designs seen today without their drawbacks.
“Maersk has an impressive track record and we could not have asked for a better organization to work with on this project,” said Connie Hedegaard , Non Executive Director, Gazelle Wind Power.
“This agreement with Maersk will help Gazelle accelerate the momentum of the development of its hybrid floating platform and open up the massive offshore wind market.”
The Gazelle platform is said to enable wind farms to be placed in deep waters and is much lighter than conventional platforms. It is also described as more compact and simpler to build, deploy, and maintain than other floating platforms, which translates to a dramatically lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE).
”Green transition and decarbonisation initiatives are at the heart of our strategy,” said Yvan Leyni , Floating Wind Solutions Director at Maersk Supply Service,
”We are committed to being at the forefront of the rapidly evolving floating wind industry and are delighted to support the Gazelle pilot project.”
According to Gazelle, the system will enable wind farms to be placed in water depths of up to 400 metres.