Gazelle Wind Power, a developer of floating offshore wind platforms, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tugdock to co-develop a modular offshore wind assembly system.
Tugdock has developed a road-transportable floating drydock known as the Tugdock Submersible Platform (TSP). Gazelle, meanwhile, has built a 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 allows for scalable and adaptable configurations, making it a more affordable and accessible solution for deepwater deployment. Together, the companies will explore the development of a new system that could drive down costs and increase production of floating offshore wind farms.
Gazelle said that its modular components enable the offshore wind platforms to be fabricated cost-effectively in shipyards and then transported to an assembly port. Tugdock’s TSP supports the deployment of commercial-scale floating wind by providing a build and launch platform that overcomes port constraints. That 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.
Gazelle Wind Power added that it is currently in discussions with a number of developers that could secure in excess of 5 GW of projects for delivery before 2035.
The first project for the new partnership will be the Molise offshore wind farm project in the Adriatic Sea, where the combined technologies will help install 70 turbines, aiming to generate 1.05 GW of power. The wind farm will cover a total area of 219 sq km, and the turbines will be located in waters spanning depths of a minimum of 88 m to a maximum of 126 m. The first platform is planned to be launched in January 2028.
Jon Salazar, ceo of Gazelle Wind Power, explained: “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.”
