Framework

Floating solar photovoltaic (PV) installations open new opportunities for scaling up solar generating capacity, especially in countries with high population density and competing uses for available land. Solar power dropped in price between 2009 and 2017 by almost 85% (price per Watt when using solar panels dropped from $2.60/W to $0.40/W). While the majority of the installations has happened in Japan, India, China and the US, the market in Europe is expected to grow. 

According to the relevant World Bank report 2018, there are challenges related to the technical complexity of designing, building, and operating solar power on and in water. Areas highlighted in the report are especially electrical safety, anchoring and mooring issues, and operation and maintenance and its related costs.

Goals:

• Demonstrate an innovative mooring solution in a full-scale floating PV park that is 50% more cost efficient compared to standard solutions making the floating solar parks more sustainable with eased manufacturing and installation, as well as lower the transport and maintenance needs.
   
• Increase TRL levels for the solutions from TRL6 to TRL8 to make the product roll-out for the involved companies feasible.
   
• Increase knowledge on motions and loads on the moorings of a floating solar park, weather impact, maintenance requirements, etc. to enable further improvements of the moorings and anchoring of floating solar parks and extend application to near-shore installations.
   
• Reduce risks when planning and executing projects due to more certainty on technical challenges and lifetime. The project is an industry-driven innovation and demonstration project led by a core partner in the value chain, closely linked to the demands of the end-customer and supported by a research institute to monitor, validate and verify the results achieved. The marine energy industry has a need for cost effective solutions for mooring and anchoring infrastructure.

Highlights

Led by Seaflex.
NEW R&D participate in the following work packages: Technical Requirements, Dimensioning and Design of the mooring system, Integration and Test of the mooring system, Design requirements for the testing in relevant environment and Impact assessment.

Countries:

• Floating Solar Pannels in Alqueva is EDP’s planned park in Portugal for a 4MWp floating solar park to be installed in the Alqueva Dam. The area available for installation of the park corresponds to a semicircular strip with a distance between 130m and 250m of the wall of the dam. The same characteristics of the floats of the floating solar project were considered in the Alto Rabagão Dam, however the panels were replaced by some of the power of 300Wp; Based on the final layout chosen, a suitable share of the park will be used to install the demonstrator moorings.
• The offshore tests will be performed in the “Testsite Skagerrak” on the Swedish West Coast. Laboratory tests will be performed in RISE test facilities and possibly at the production sites.