Collaboration aims to reduce the cost of offshore wind platforms

Gazelle floating offshore wind platform being assembled on a Tugdock Submersible Platform. Photo: Tugdock

Dublin-based Gazelle Wind Power (Gazelle), the developer of a next-generation floating offshore wind platform, and Cornwall-based Tugdock, the inventor of the world’s first road-transportable floating dry dock — the Tugdock Submersible Platform — have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 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.

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 a revolutionary patented dynamic mooring system that eliminates pitch and balance movement in response to the external forces of wind, waves, and the tide. The platform's modular design allows 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 5GW 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 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.

Significant benefits
Gazelle Wind Power CEO Jon Salazar said: “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.”

The first project for the new partnership will be Italy’s largest offshore wind farm, the Molise Offshore Wind Farm project in the Adriatic Sea, where the combined technologies will help install 70 turbines, aiming to generate 1.05GWh of power. The Molise Offshore Wind Farm will cover a total area of 219km², and the turbines will be located in waters spanning depths of a minimum of 88m to a maximum of 126m. The first platform is planned to be launched in January 2028.

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