Scotland-headquartered tidal energy company Nova Innovation and RSK, the engineering and environmental consultancy, have launched a new joint venture (JV) to explore floating solar power stations globally.
AquaGen365, the JV, will design and install floating PV power plants, drawing on the strength of its parent companies, namely RSK's presence in 40 countries, and Nova's experience in marine energy. It will use Nova's modular systems that the company says can be scaled from kW to MWs.
It has commissioned its maiden floating PV project in the Port of Leith in Edinburg. It is now powering Forth Ports' headquarters. Nova says the demonstrator project generated electricity through torrential rain and 70 mph winds of Storm Babet in October, thus demonstrating the robustness of its design and technology.
Through this JV, the partners target to exploit the untapped potential for water bodies such as reservoirs and lakes, to double up as energy generators. Especially with land availability being a concern along with water scarcity, they see floating PV as an opportunity to explore.
"Floating solar provides clean, predictable, low-cost energy using reliable and bankable technology that offers an alternative solution to ground-mounted and rooftop solar. It makes a compelling argument for cost-competitive and decarbonised energy generation where land use is not a viable option," explained RSK Director David Taylor.
He sees its benefits extending to several sectors including sustainable irrigation in agriculture, providing renewable energy to industrial sites and complexes, and leading to greener ports and harbors.
"In line with the commitment made at COP28 to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030, floating solar is a low-cost, accessible solution that can have a real impact on reducing climate change," said Nova Innovation CEO Simon Forrest.