Gazelle Wind Power and Tugdock to Develop Offshore Wind Modular Assembly System

December 20, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

Gazelle Wind Power, the developer of a next-generation floating wind platform, and Tugdock have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop a modular offshore wind assembly system that is expected to dramatically drive down costs and increase production of floating offshore wind farms.

Tugdock is the developer of the world’s first road-transportable floating dry dock known as the Tugdock Submersible Platform.

Lucas Lowe-Houghton, Chief Revenue Officer at Tugdock, said: ”This exciting partnership is an industry-first, representing the power of collaboration to unleash the full potential of innovation. This collaboration will unlock great opportunities for both partners as well as help to accelerate the floating offshore wind industry.”

The design of Gazelle Wind Power’s platform includes what is described as a revolutionary patented dynamic mooring system that eliminates pitch and balance movement in response to the external forces of wind, waves, and tide.

The platform’s modular design is said to allow for scalable and adaptable configurations, making it a more affordable and accessible solution for deep water deployment. Gazelle Wind Power is currently in discussions with a number of developers with the potential to secure in excess of 5 GW of projects for delivery before 2035.

The modularity of Gazelle’s components enables the offshore wind platform modules to be fabricated cost-effectively in shipyards and then transported to an assembly port, adjacent to a wind farm to be completed, the developer said.

The Tugdock Submersible Platform is a patented technology that supports the deployment of commercial-scale floating wind by providing a build and launch platform that overcomes port constraints. The structure combines a steel frame and patented airlift bags to act as additional buoyancy or as a submersible platform for lifting or launching heavy marine structures.

”Working with Tugdock, we have the ideal way to assemble our modular platform, using minimal port space. While the Gazelle platform possesses a naturally low draft, there are significant benefits to assembling the modules on the Tugdock platform, which doubles as the assembly fixture and launch method, speeding up platform assembly and getting our platform into the water in a safe, and cost-effective way. This partnership is driving the production rates up and costs down. Our vision is to be the benchmark for Floating Offshore Platforms across global markets and make a significant contribution to net-zero goals. This new collaboration is a significant step on that journey,” said Jon Salazar, CEO of Gazelle Wind Power.

First Stop Italy

The first project for the new partnership will be the Molise offshore wind farm in the Italian Adriatic Sea, where the combined technologies will help install 70 turbines, aiming to generate 1.05 GW of power.

The Molise offshore wind farm will cover a total area of 219 square kilometres, and the turbines will be located in waters spanning depths of a minimum of 88 metres to a maximum of 126 metres. The first platform is planned to be launched in January 2028.

Shane Carr, CEO of Tugdock, said: ”This pioneering partnership combines the advantages of two innovative modular technologies that complement each other perfectly. This represents a game-changing solution for developers and a major step forward for offshore renewable energy.”