Irish floating wind platform firm Gazelle Wind Power has appointed Jason Wormald, former Global Head of Innovation of Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group, as Chief Technology Officer to lead the company’s product design and engineering.
"In order to realize the full potential of offshore wind and drive down costs, we have taken a different approach to the platform design, and there is nobody better to drive this technological vision than Jason,” said Gazelle CEO Jon Salazar. “Jason is one of the foremost experts on wire moorings and his track record and hands-on experience delivering innovative mooring solutions for floating offshore wind projects, along with his strategic vision, makes him uniquely qualified to lead our technology team.”
At Bridon-Bekaert, Wormald was Global Head of Innovation, leading the company’s advances in renewables, specifically in mooring solutions. During his tenure, he held senior technical positions overseeing a bespoke technology center, directing new product developments and leading advanced services.
Prior to this, he spent over 20 years in various senior technical roles across a range of industries, including for the oil and gas crane firm TSC Engineering, cleantech and switchgear company DeepStream Technologies, and for Pace Micro Technology.
“The company is driving the innovation necessary to enable the potential of the offshore wind sector, and I want to play my part in delivering a smart solution that can revolutionise clean energy,” Wormald said.
Over the past 12 months, Gazelle has aligned itself with several partners who have developed leading solutions in their own fields. These have included Ferrofab FZE, VCE, Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group, and Maersk Supply Service. Gazelle also recently announced the addition of four new industry leaders to its board of directors.
According to Gazelle, its hybrid floating wind platform splits the ‘two classical functions’ of buoyancy and stability for a lighter and more agile platform than current market designs and boasts the advantage of faster deployment in deeper waters.