Belgian partners DEME, Tractebel and Jan De Nul have introduced a new offshore floating photovoltaic (PV) technology that can operate in harsh marine conditions and be installed in offshore wind farms.
As authorities allow for multi-use concessions and the grid infrastructure shows good potential for combined use, the addition of offshore floating solar to current and future offshore wind sites presents an opportunity to add large volumes of additional renewable energy, developers said.
Philippe Hutse, offshore director at Jan De Nul said the solar floater, dubbed Seavolt, has the potential to play a crucial role in optimising the use of space on the sea by complementing offshore wind farms.
The patent-pending technology is set for test installation off the Belgian coast in summer 2023. The partners started the project within the framework of the Blue Cluster four years ago. A marine floater concept was designed, together with initial research on the effects on the marine ecosystem, integration of aquaculture, and a financial assessment. The research and development is a joint effort with Ghent University and the RBIN (Royal Institute of Natural Sciences) and is supported by VLAIO – Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the Energy Transition Fund and the Relaunch Fund.
Philippe Van Troeye, CEO of Engie’s Belgian subsidiary Tractebel, added: “In the same way that we have seen wind technology moving from land to the sea, we are seeing the extension of the whole energy system towards offshore locations. Along with offshore green fuel production, offshore energy islands, interconnectors and potential solutions for energy storage, we believe offshore floating PV has an important role to play in the acceleration of the energy transition. While this technology is still in its infancy, we are convinced that with such strong partners on board we are giving SEAVOLT all possible chances to succeed.”
