Bekaert has been selected to provide mooring solution analysis on one of the largest offshore floating solar projects to date.
The Nautical Sunrise project’s outcomes are expected to enable the large-scale deployment and commercialisation of offshore floating solar systems, both as standalone systems as well as those that are integrated into offshore wind farms.
Nautical Sunrise’s consortium aims to design, build and demonstrate a 5MW offshore floating solar system using the modular solution of Dutch company SolarDuck.
RWE will provide the investment for the installation and deployment, and the system is planned to be electrically integrated, certified, and located within RWE’s OranjeWind (Hollandse Kust West 7) wind farm off the west coast of The Netherlands.
Bekaert is building on its work in floating offshore wind to contribute to the analysis of the impact of innovative mooring solutions on offshore floating solar PV systems.
Prior to the offshore deployment, the Nautical Sunrise consortium will conduct extensive research and testing to ensure the reliability, survivability, electrical stability, and yield of offshore floating solar systems.
A comprehensive scale-up plan will address the challenges and create opportunities to drive forward the commercialisation of offshore floating solar systems.
“As part of this collaboration, our team will evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of various mooring solutions, including polyester, nylon, and new technologies such as the TFI Marine SeaSpring load reduction device,” said Bekaert general manager synthetic Christof Dewijngaert.
He added: “We are committed to exploring the stiffness characteristics of different mooring options under varying conditions, ensuring the optimal design for offshore floating PV.”
The project will assess the environmental footprint, circularity, and full life cycle sustainability of offshore floating solar systems.
This assessment will not only cover the demonstrator project but also include multiple GW-scale commercial projects, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the technology’s ecological implications.
The consortium comprises project lead Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), SolarDuck, RWE, Carlo Maresca Group, Bekaert, Deltares, Hasselt University (UHasselt), KU Leuven, Oxford PV, SINTEF Industry, SINTEF Ocean, The Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC-CERCA), INESC TEC, and WavEC Offshore Renewables.
“Not only do we have the chance to address important knowledge gaps around the design and environmental impact of offshore solar,” said DMEC chief technology officer Simon Stark.
“Together with RWE and the OranjeWind consortium we can do so in full alignment and integration with a commercial offshore wind park.”