Page 56: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2024)

FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND GAZELLE WIND POWER

We’re already working on the pre-FEED, and now we’re go- clude 70 turbines of 15MW each, and has preselected Gazelle ing to be working on the engineering portion. Our main goal as one of the providers for the offshore wind platform. So, is to prove the concept,” said Ortega. Apart from the technical, we’re not only talking about a pilot; we’re also talking about

Gazelle is actively seeking partnerships – from developers to some speci? c projects that we’re planning to use our offshore shipping companies to technology providers – as well as stra- wind platforms.” tegic investors that “come in not only to bring equity, but also Armed with an innovative design that offers much promise, to participate with us on the deployment.” Ortega nonetheless sees many hurdles to clear.

The opportunities for Gazelle, and in fact all players in the “I think one of the main challenges is bringing this third gen- ? oating wind sector are literally boundless as the market eration of turbines to place. [Phase one was] to ? oat, being evolves. “80% of the wind resources are in places where only able to deploy platforms to ? oat and survive, but not to be offshore ? oating wind can be deployed,” said Ortega. “When industrialized. The second is where we are right now, look- we look at the map, the three main areas where we are plan- ing to solve the main issues of fabrication, assembly, as well ning include Europe, which represents 60GW of potential;. as the issues with very deep waters on the West Coast of the

Asia Paci? c and its 81GW of potential; and then North Amer- United States where we have one kilometer or more. [The ica, where we’re talking about 31GW,” Ortega said. third generation] is innovation in the supply chain, improving

While envisioning market potential is the end game, Ortega the assembly process to make it scalable and easy to attach. and the Gazelle team are ? rmly planted in the here and now, As in our case, manufacturing different modules that attach to focusing ? rst on the pilot test, plus the most recent news where each other rather than having to produce the whole platform

Gazelle were preselected for a project seeking to deploy 1GW in a manufacturing facility and then transferring that massive of ? oating wind on the Italy’s side of Adriatic Sea by the end [structure]. And, being able to do this without having to make of 2028. “The developer is Maverick, controlled by Green major infrastructure investments, which can be in the billions

Bridge, and it released plans for this wind farm, that will in- of dollars,” Ortega concluded.

The secret sauce in the Gazelle Wind Power ? oating offshore wind design is in its modularly designed, manufactured and assembled base: less material used, reduced environmental impact, lower costs and lower draft needed to ? oat it out.

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Watch the full interview with Alvaro Ortega

All images courtesy Gazelle Offshore Wind

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