RINA leads an EU Joint Industry Project aimed at scaling up offshore solar technology to build gigawatt-scale farms, marking a significant advancement in renewable energy innovation, according to RINA's release.
The project's primary objective is to establish 150 MW-format building blocks as a new standard in offshore energy farms. By integrating solar farms within offshore wind farms, this initiative seeks to optimize sea space utilization, enhance energy output, ensure continuous power generation throughout the seasons, and drive down costs associated with green electricity production and the energy system.
The collaborative effort, coordinated by RINA, includes offshore solar developer Oceans of Energy, four technology developers (Solarge, TKF, Pauwels Transformers, SolarCleano), five technical and environmental consultancies (RINA, ABS, Aquatera Ltd, Aquatera Atlantico, and WavEC), three testing laboratories (MARIN, Fraunhofer CSP, SIRRIS), the marine policy think-tank European Marine Board, and offshore wind farm developer Vattenfall.
The project, named BAMBOO (Build scAlable Modular Bamboo-inspired Offshore sOlar systems), aims to address remaining challenges for the large-scale rollout of offshore solar, including robustness and performance verification of solar panels in offshore conditions, environmental impact assessment, and sustainability considerations throughout the value chain.
The anticipated outcome is the maturation of technologies and the facilitation of funding for the construction of a groundbreaking 100-200 MW offshore solar farm at a Vattenfall offshore wind farm by the end of the decade. This collaborative effort promises lower investments in the total energy system and the development of international standards and testing methodologies for offshore solar technology.