Germany's RWE and the Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck have completed and commissioned their offshore floating PV (OFPV) pilot plant off the coast of Scheveningen in the Netherlands. The 0.5 MW Merganser project is hoped to pave the way for large-scale commercial deployment of this technology.
Located in the Dutch North Sea, it comprises 6 interconnected platforms that the project partners believe can withstand extreme offshore conditions including high waves, strong winds, and corrosive environments.
Its triangular floating platforms, for which SolarDuck has a Bureau Veritas certificate, are now successfully connected to the mooring system in a water depth of 20 meters. These will follow the waves 'like a carpet' keeping critical electrical components dry, clean and stable to ensure minimal maintenance and safe operations (see Europe Solar PV News Snippets).
More than 180 sensors fitted to the power station will enable the project partners to monitor the installation remotely, over the next 2 years. The Dutch independent institute for applied research, Deltares, is on board to support with an extensive monitoring campaign on its ecological impact.
"Standalone or also in combination with offshore wind farms, offshore floating solar could open up further offshore renewable energy opportunities – especially for countries with lower average wind speeds but lots of sunlight," said RWE Offshore Wind CEO Sven Utermöhlen. "With Merganser, we are gaining unique insights and first-hand experience in one of the most challenging offshore environments in the world."
Both RWE and SolarDuck are simultaneously working on a larger OFPV system with 5 MW capacity to be installed as part of the former's OranjeWind Offshore Wind Farm in the Netherlands. This collaboration is part of RWE's strategy to explore commercial OFPV farms, both in stand-alone and hybrid mode (see Europe's Largest Floating Solar Demonstration Plant).
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