The Global Sourcing Hub for Marine, Subsea & Offshore Technology
Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
Next-generation floating offshore wind technology developer Gazelle Wind Power has completed testing on a breakthrough platform architecture designed to support 18MW+ turbines in extreme marine environments.
Developed as part of work with a major utility on a large-scale project at a typhoon-prone site, the platform is engineered to support giant turbines under severe wind, wave, and current conditions. Simulations assessing both survival and power-production scenarios demonstrated controlled platform behavior, with roll and pitch angles remaining below 5 degrees while tower-top accelerations and tower-base loads stayed within specified design criteria.
The design incorporates Gazelle’s core dynamic mooring principles, combining a central counterweight with three Articulated Mooring Frames and near-vertical mooring lines to deliver passive restoring force without an active ballast system. Key refinements feature a tripod support structure, upgraded mooring frames, and revised hull geometry, which improve hydrodynamic performance and damage tolerance while reducing overall structural weight.
A preliminary costing analysis against benchmark semi-submersible floaters indicates potential reductions of 44% in capital expenditure and 52% in levelized cost of energy. These savings are driven by reduced structural and mooring materials, a compact footprint, modular steel construction, and compatibility with standard port infrastructure for tow-to-port maintenance.
Gazelle and its partner utility recently concluded a physical basin-test campaign to compare physical data against numerical models, supporting ongoing engineering calibration ahead of commercial deployment.
Jason Wormald, Chief Technology Officer at Gazelle Wind Power, said, “These results show that Gazelle can scale to the next generation of 18 MW+ turbines without simply making the platform bigger and heavier. Even in extreme offshore conditions, the design maintains strong control of motion and structural loads, reinforcing its potential for commercial-scale deployment.”
Jon Salazar, CEO at Gazelle Wind Power, added, “Gazelle’s technology has always been designed to reduce the material, infrastructure and cost required to deploy floating wind. With this hugely innovative new 18 MW+ design, we are showing that those advantages can be carried into larger turbines and more demanding offshore conditions. With the cost reductions demonstrated by this new design, our technology could help make floating wind viable in places that have previously been too challenging or expensive to develop.”
Further details on the platform design will be presented during WindEnergy Hamburg at stand B4.EG.129 between September 22nd and 25th.
