It is likely to get even more crowded for sailors on the water. In the coming years, it is not just huge wind farms that are planned for the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The solar energy industry is now also pushing onto the water. Large numbers of floating solar parks could soon be anchored in the North Sea in particular.
Such plants already exist. The Dutch company Oceans of Energy has been operating such a solar park as a trial in the North Sea, twelve kilometres off the Dutch coast, since 2019. This will be expanded to a capacity of 15 megawatts in 2023. The system has even withstood severe storms with waves up to ten metres high and wind speeds of 12 Beaufort. In short: "It can withstand the relentless sea conditions," was the assessment of the operators after the test phase.
Solar modules between offshore wind farms
The energy group RWE is now also investing in an offshore pilot plant in the North Sea, together with the Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck. The project lays the foundation for an additional, larger plant off the Dutch coast. The platform is designed to float several metres above the water and follow the waves - like a carpet. RWE already operates a solar park on a Dutch lake with a maximum output of six megawatts. In the North Sea, the solar islands will initially be built between offshore wind turbines in order to utilise their power line infrastructure.
Installing solar modules on water has the general advantage that the water cools the modules and prevents them from overheating quickly. This in turn increases electricity production. The technology could also soon find its way inland. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems recently calculated the potential for solar power generation on quarry ponds in Baden-Württemberg: systems with an output of up to 1,070 megawatts could be installed on 69 such lakes. Initial trials are already underway.
Floating solar parks: China has been a pioneer so far
By comparison, the world's largest floating solar power plant to date is located in China and has an output of 40 megawatts (MW). This means that the solar power plant has the potential to cover the electricity needs of a city in the region. Efforts are also being made throughout Europe to further develop and utilise floating solar parks. In Portugal, one of the largest projects was completed in July this year. The 12,000 panels on the Alqueva reservoir in the south of the country are expected to supply as much as 5 MW.
