Floating solar plants - The new offshore plants in various parts of the world

Offshore plants for energy generation have been an alternative to onshore wind and solar plants for years. By using free sea or lake areas, land areas can be conserved or used for other purposes such as agriculture. Several offshore solar plants are being planned worldwide that could deliver enormous energy yields.

Offshore marine solar plants in the USA and Austria

The largest floating solar plant in the USA was connected to the grid in summer 2023. Located on a lake in Short Hills, the plant operated by NJR Clean Energy Ventures can supply 1,400 households with electricity each year using around 16,000 solar panels.

At that time, the Austrian-based company “ECOwind” was already able to shine with a “floating PV system” that can generate four times as much energy.

The systems are united by their design. The solar panels are mounted on rafts that are attached to each other and to the lake bed and are arranged in a rectangular shape. The advantage of such constructions: The water immediately below cools the panels and thus increases their effectiveness. At the same time, the unused sea surface can be used as a substitute for land that can be used for other purposes.

Modern offshore plants at sea

Now there are also plans for offshore installations. The company “SolarDuck”, with roots in Norway and the Netherlands, is planning a hybrid offshore wind and solar park. This is due to be connected to the electricity grid in the Gulf of Taranto in southern Italy in 2028. The 28 floating wind turbines will be supplemented by modern photovoltaic systems. These are arranged in a hexagonal shape and “float” at a height of three meters above the sea. The raised panels are intended to simplify maintenance work and reduce salt deposits on the cells. The system is also designed to withstand strong waves of up to 13.5 meters. According to the company, the entire plant will have a total capacity of 540 MWp, making it one of the largest floating plants in Europe.

A similar facility is also already being tested in China. The “Yellow Sea Number 1” system stands on a nine-metre-high platform and floats on 64 buoys that are attached to the seabed by cables. It was not disclosed how much electricity the 1,624 square meter system with 434 panels can generate.

Image: iStock

Sources:
futurezone.at, 23.10.2024

futurezone.at, 02.03.2024

futurezone.at, 09.06.2023