New floating wind assembly tie-up hopes to revolutionise industry

The developer of a lightweight steel semisubmersible floating wind platform has joined forces with the creator of a road-transportable dry dock in a partnership they say could be “game-changing” for the industry.

Dublin-based Gazelle Wind Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with UK outfit Tugdock to co-develop a modular offshore wind assembly system they claim will “dramatically drive down costs and increase production of floating offshore wind farms.”

“This pioneering partnership combines the advantages of two innovative modular technologies that complement each other perfectly,” said Tugdock CEO Shane Carr.

“This represents a game-changing solution for developers and a major step forward for offshore renewable energy.”

The eye-catching Gazelle platform is made up of modular triangular steel sections with “integrated floatation” designed to increase low-level buoyancy and towing stability while reducing draft to as little as 3.5 metres.

Gazelle says the modularity of its platform means it can be made “cost-effectively in shipyards and then transported to an assembly port, adjacent to a wind farm, to be completed.”

Cornwall-based Tugdock meanwhile has pioneered its own modular concept for a floating dry dock, which can be sized up to form quaysides able to support loads as great as 35,000 tonnes in locations without industrial infrastructure.

It claims to be the world’s first “road-transportable” dry dock, with its mobility allowing it to create construction space to assemble floating wind turbines for tow-out “at a fraction of the cost” of standard dry docks.

The design holds major potential for the floating offshore wind sector, which suffers from a lack of port infrastructure to develop projects.

“Working with Tugdock, we have the ideal way to assemble our modular platform, using minimal port space,” said Jon Salazar, CEO of Gazelle Wind Power.

“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.”

The first project for the new partnership will be what Gazelle says is Italy’s largest offshore wind farm, the 1.05GW Molise project in the Adriatic Sea.

There Gazelle said the partners will help install 70 turbines across a total area of 219 square kilometres 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 2028.