New floating offshore solar farm equipment for North Sea operations

Following the success of offshore wind farms, renewable energy companies are now exploring floating solar panels as a way to use the vast expanses of ocean to capture solar energy.

The Dutch North Sea is now home to Merganser, a new floating solar test project. This pilot project aims to test and demonstrate the feasibility of this floating technology.

SolarDuck, a Dutch-Norwegian company, has partnered with German energy giant RWE to install the clean energy project. The pilot will evaluate the performance and explore future possibilities of integrating solar power with offshore wind farms. This integration is said to be a more efficient use of ocean space for energy generation.

“Alone or in combination with offshore wind farms, floating solar panels at sea can open up new opportunities for the use of renewable energy at sea – especially in countries with lower average wind speeds but plenty of sunlight,” said Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, in a press release.

“With Merganser we gain unique knowledge and first-hand experience in one of the most challenging marine environments in the world.”