ABP has submitted a planning application proposing the development of a 40 MW floating solar project
Dubbed Barrow EnergyDock, it will be located at the Port of Barrow in the Cavendish Dock
The use of floating solar instead of ground-mounted solar is aimed at saving port land for other uses
Leading ports operator for the UK, Associated British Ports (ABP) has proposed a floating solar power project with 40 MW installed capacity, planning it as the country’s largest such facility.
ABP says the decision to use floating solar instead of ground-mounted solar is aimed at preserving port land for operational and manufacturing uses.
Around 47,000 solar panels for the proposed floating PV project Barrow EnergyDock will be installed at the Port of Barrow in the Cavendish Dock. These will be mounted on floating pontoons, which will be secured to the bottom of the dock by an anchoring system.
The floating solar array here is expected to cover close to 1/3rd of the available water area in the dock, leaving space for leisure activities to continue in the dock. On completion, it will generate enough electricity to power around 14,000 homes/year.
Power generated by Barrow EnergyDock will be used by the advanced manufacturing sector and help better control the cost of electricity at the port, according to ABP, which did not share offtake details.
It has submitted the planning application for the project that was prepared by environmental and engineering consultancy Green Cat Renewables. Marine ecology and coastal waterbird surveys and assessments in and around the dock were conducted by ABP’s marine consultancy and survey company ABPmer.
“ABP's masterplanning team worked with the local Barrow team to design a Masterplan focussed on driving growth and strengthening the local economy in response to the significant investment coming to the region over the next ten to twenty years,” shared Divisional Port Manager (Northwest and Scotland) Bryan Davies. “Barrow EnergyDock is a pivotal step in realising our vision for a prosperous and sustainable future for Barrow.”
This floating PV project is part of ABP’s £2 billion plan for Energy Transition Growth to become net-zero by 2040.