Tugdock, a UK-based company headquartered in Cornwall, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Salamander floating offshore wind farm to jointly explore innovative solutions for advancing floating offshore wind energy in Scotland.
Salamander Offshore Wind, a joint venture development project involving Simply Blue Group, Ørsted, and Subsea7, is actively developing a floating wind farm situated offshore from Peterhead in North-East Scotland. Their involvement in the Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round led to the signing of an exclusivity agreement.
In a bid to promote research and innovation for the development of technologies and the supply chain for floating wind energy in Scotland, Salamander Offshore Wind has initiated discussions with Tugdock.
Tugdock’s technology revolves around a modular, transportable space frame equipped with patented air lift bags that can be filled and vented using compressed air. By integrating these air lift bags into a space frame configuration and deck arrangement, their product serves as additional buoyancy modules or submersible platforms.
This technology facilitates the construction and assembly of floating offshore wind turbine substructures and the integration of turbines in ports with limitations in water depth or available space. Tugdock claims that their solution is a more lightweight, shallow-draft, faster, and cost-effective alternative to conventional steel-hulled barges or floating docks.
Shane Carr, CEO of Tugdock says: “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 says: “Tugdock is a highly innovative young company and we are looking forward to working closely with them to explore the applications of their technology.”
Lucas Lowe-Houghton, Director of Business Growth at Tugdock, adds: “Floating offshore wind will be vital in achieving the UK’s mission to achieve net zero. Proactive collaboration between companies will help the industry to meet the challenges and unlock its full potential.”
