Gazelle Wind Power has received authorisation to use a site off the coast of Aguçadoura, Portugal, for its 2 MW Nau Azul floating wind demonstrator project. The project site previously hosted WindFloat 1, one of Europe’s earliest floating wind pilot projects.
The Dublin-based floating wind technology company was issued a 10-year TUPEM (Titulo de Utilizacao Privativa do Espaco Marítimo) permit by Portugal’s Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM), which gives the company exclusive rights to occupy and utilise a designated area of national maritime space for the installation, operation and testing of its floating wind platform.
“Securing the TUPEM authorization allows us to launch environmental monitoring and prepare for the installation of our full-scale, grid-connected demonstrator, which will serve as a blueprint for commercial deployments worldwide. It’s a major step forward in our roadmap to commercialization” , said Jon Salazar , Gazelle Wind Power CEO.
Gazelle revealed plans for the pilot project in 2023, when the company partnered with the Portuguese renewable energy developer WAM Horizon to accelerate the development of the project in Aguçadoura, which will use its technology.
In November last year, Gazelle secured EUR 11.4 million to further accelerate the Nau Azul demo project through a funding round led by Indico Capital Partners. Other investors in the round included DST Group, August One, Wah Kwong, and E2IN2, among others.
Gazelle says its floating wind platform of a lightweight and modular design can unlock deep-water wind energy resources while also lowering the levelised cost of energy (LCOE).
According to the company, the platform uses a unique geometry and counterweight system that reduces steel use, significantly cutting CapEx and simplifying industrialisation. Its compact design enables deployment from shallow ports, offering a smaller footprint and lower overall costs, Gazelle Wind Power says.