Orsted-backed floating wind project eyes air-bag innovation to beat port space squeeze

UK marine buoyancy technology company Tugdock has signed into a potential partnership with the Salamander floating wind developers in Scotland.

Tugdock says its patented technology enables heavy marine structures to be built or assembled and loaded-out in ports with water depth or space restrictions.

Salamander Offshore Wind is a joint venture between Simply Blue Group, Orsted and Subsea7 aimed at developing a 100MW floating wind farm offshore from Peterhead, East Scotland. The small-scale but innovative project will be developed under an exclusivity agreement ensuing from Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.

The Salamander joint venture company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cornwall-based Tugdock on Thursday.

Tugdock's technology consists of a modular road-transportable space frame with the use of patented air lift bags that are filled and then vented using compressed air to provide additional buoyancy modules or submersible platforms.

“This technology enables floating offshore wind turbine substructures to be built or assembled and the turbines integrated in ports with water depth or space restrictions. It is a lighter, shallow drafted, quicker, and more cost-effective alternative to a steel hulled barge or floating dock,” the company stated.

Shane Carr, CEO of Tugdock said: “The objectives of this exciting collaboration are for Salamander Offshore Wind and Tugdock to jointly develop innovative knowledge and technologies to accelerate the development of floating wind energy. This is currently a fast-evolving industry around the world. We are delighted to have agreed this forward-looking collaboration and we are confident that it will lead to significant progress.”

Tom Brown, Innovation and Interface Manager of Salamander Offshore Wind added: “Tugdock is a highly innovative young company and we are looking forward to working closely with them to explore the applications of their technology.”

In recent months, Tugdock has also announced partnerships with Sarens, the global leader in crane rental and heavy lifting, and with Crowley, a US-based supply chain solutions company serving the offshore wind sector, exploring floating offshore wind in locations, such as the US West Coast.

The UK government has sought to encourage innovative projects to underpin its ambitions of putting 5GW of floating offshore wind into operation by 2030.

Tugdock said the Salamander project would help prove that these ambitions are achievable and to the maximum benefit of public and private stakeholders.

The company stated on its website: "This stepping stone project... is designed to provide the Scottish supply chain with an early capacity development opportunity, enabling it to play a much greater role in subsequent large-scale floating offshore wind buildout.

"The project will deploy innovative and cutting-edge floating offshore wind technologies to produce zero-carbon electricity and support the cost reduction and learning journey needed for the commercial deployment of floating offshore wind.

The Salamander joint venture states on its website: "Salamander.. will provide an opportunity for the local supply chain to gear up for commercial scale opportunities in Scotland, as well as de-risking floating wind technologies for the future commercial projects in Scotland and beyond.

"The Salamander Offshore Wind Farm will work collaboratively to get innovative technology ready to solve wider challenges such as grid balancing and co-located generation."