RWE & SolarDuck to Integrate Floating Solar With a Wind Farm in The North Sea

The solar panels will float above the water and follow the waves like a carpet

thumbnail

German sustainable energy company RWE and offshore solar energy developer SolarDuck inked a collaboration agreement to develop the use of floating solar parks in the sea and integrate it into an offshore wind farm to create a multi-source renewable energy project.

RWE selected SolarDuck as an exclusive provider for offshore floating solar technology with integrated storage in its bid for the Dutch tender for offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust West (HKW VII) for system integration.

A winning bid will realize the integration of an offshore floating solar plant at a pre-commercial scale with 5 MW combined with innovative energy storage solutions into the offshore wind farm.

The offshore floating solar technology developed by SolarDuck is developed with weather-resistant offshore solar technology and provides an answer to increasing land scarcity for renewable energy generation. Integrating offshore floating solar into an offshore wind farm would be a more efficient use of ocean space for energy generation (using the space between the wind turbines).

The floating solar technology is equipped to float several meters above the water, following the waves like a carpet, keeping critical electrical components dry, clean, and stable, and securing the integrity of the semi-submersible structures while enabling safe operations and minimal maintenance.

The region around the North Sea is considered one of the most challenging offshore environments. The deployment of offshore solar farms demands technologies that resist rough offshore conditions, including high waves, strong winds, and corrosive conditions.

The unique and triangular design of the offshore solar platform designed by SolarDuck has received the world´s first certification for offshore floating solar by the French company Bureau Veritas.

To accelerate the development of the technology, RWE plans to invest in SolarDuck’s full-scale offshore project ‘Merganser,’ with a nameplate capacity of 0.5 MWp.  Merganser is expected to be installed off the coast of Ostend in the Belgian North Sea and will be SolarDuck’s first offshore pilot project.

Merganser will provide RWE and SolarDuck with credible first-hand learnings that would support the faster commercialization of the technology from the next financial year.

In June this year, RWE signed a memorandum of understanding with steel producer ArcelorMittal to develop, build, and operate offshore wind farms and hydrogen facilities in Germany. The facilities would supply clean energy and green hydrogen needed to produce low-emission steel in the country.

According to a recently released Global Offshore Wind report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), 2021 was one of the best years ever for the global offshore wind industry, which added 21.1 GW of new capacity connected to the grid.

RELATED POSTS

thumbnail
Top 5 States for Open Access Solar Installations in CY 2022

India added an impressive 2.5 GW open access solar capacity in 2022, registering a growth of 92% year-over-year (YoY), according to the 2022 Q4 & Annual Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report. Karnataka emerged as the to...

March 23, 2023

Markets & Policy

Government Clarifies ALMM Enlistment Guidelines for Co-branded Solar Modules

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has modified the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) guidelines and provided exceptions to broaden the qualification criteria for modules produced under agreements betwe...

March 24, 2023

C&I

In Bengaluru, a 100 kW Solar System Can Save C&I Entities ₹1 Million Annually

Mercom India successfully concluded the C&I Clean Energy Meet 2023 in Bengaluru, where stakeholders in the solar sector and commercial and industrial entities converged to enthusiastically discuss the benefits of renewable ene...

March 24, 2023

Other

Gensol Acquires Solar Tracker Maker Scorpius for ₹1.35 Billion

Gensol Engineering, a part of solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company Gensol Group, has acquired India-based solar tracker manufacturer Scorpius Trackers for ₹1.35 billion ($16.4 million). Gensol said the ac...

March 23, 2023

Magazine

DON'T MISS AN ISSUE!

Mercom Cleantech Magazine

Get Your Copy Today!

magazines

Latest News

thumbnail
Government Clarifies ALMM Enlistment Guidelines for Co-branded Solar Modules

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has modified the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) guidelines and provided exceptions to broaden the qualification criteria for modules produced under agreements...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
Intra-State Sections of Evacuation Infrastructure for Renewables Delayed

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy that the intra-state stretches of the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) have been delayed due to various reasons, including...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
EnBW Takes €2.4 Billion Final Investment Decision on Offshore Wind Project

German electric utility company Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg (EnBW) has made its final €2.4 billion (~$2.6 billion) investment decision on He Dreiht, a major wind project in the German North Sea. The project has a capacity of 960...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
India Missed 2022 Renewables Target as Rooftop Solar and Wind fell Short

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy report has isolated underwhelming progress on rooftop solar and wind energy projects as the primary reason for India falling short of achieving its renewable energy capacity target...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
Researchers Aim to Accelerate Delivery of Space-Based Solar Power to Earth

Researchers at Northumbria University are studying ways of producing wireless electricity from space to Earth by harvesting the Sun’s energy. U.S.-based aerospace, defense, and information security organization Lockheed Martin...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
Regulator Directs Wind Energy Firm, MSEDCL, to Recompute Delayed Payment Charge

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) recently directed Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) to recompute the delayed payment charge from...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
One-Step Coating Could Make Perovskite Solar Cells Commercially Viable

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has devised a new way to produce perovskite solar cells that could speed its commercialization. Different layers are typically added sequentially to a conductive glass substrate to...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
ACWA Power to Develop Solar and Energy Storage Projects in Uzbekistan

Saudi Arabia-based energy company ACWA Power has signed power purchase and investment agreements with  National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan, and the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade to develop new solar and battery...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
China Securities Regulatory Commission Approves Canadian Solar’s IPO

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved the registration of CSI Solar, the engineering, procurement, and construction arm of solar module maker Canadian Solar, to issue an initial public offering (IPO). The...

March 24, 2023

thumbnail
Renewables Accounted for 83% of the Total Generation Capacity Added in 2022

Renewable capacity grew by 9.6% in 2022, adding a record 295 GW worldwide. This accounts for 83% of all power capacity added last year and brings the global renewable generation capacity to 3,372 GW by the end of last year, a...

March 24, 2023

MORE NEWS