Floating solar demonstrator launches in the Canary Islands

Business & Finance

January 3, 2024, by Nadja Skopljak

Norwegian company Ocean Sun and its partners have launched an offshore floating solar demonstrator in La Palma, Spain.

The BOOST (Bringing Offshore Ocean Sun to the global market) floating solar demonstrator uses Ocean Sun’s patented floating solar photovoltaics (FPV) technology and marks the final milestone in a comprehensive three-year-long R&D project focused on demonstrating and validating a solution for seawater floating PV.

The initiative, partially funded by the European Union, has achieved a significant milestone by deploying Europe’s largest ocean-based floating solar energy system.

During the project, Ocean Sun’s technology was analyzed by independent engineering firm Innosea and tested at the SINTEF Ocean Basin laboratory. The project has obtained a site-specific design verification from DNV according to Ocean Sun’s design premise, confirming the suitability of the design for deployment.

The system is located close to the port of Tazacorte at La Palma (La Isla Bonita) and aligns with the EU’s commitment to remove barriers in implementing renewable energies, in accordance with its Solar Energy Strategy and the incentives for self-consumption installations.

The BOOST consortium, coordinated by Ocean Sun and comprising partners such as Innosea, PLOCAN, The Institute of Technology of the Canary Islands (ITC) and Fred Olsen Renewables, celebrated the development and implementation of the demonstrator with an official opening.

The final installation carried out in the port of Tazacorte was made possible through collaboration with ACUIPALMA and the support of institutions such as Puertos Canarios and the Cabildo de La Palma.

“This latest system deployed in the southernmost part of Europe serves as a powerful demonstrator for the exploitation of the limitless solar resources at sea. Successful operation of the special membrane solution in these waters will pave the way for abundant supply of affordable renewable energy,” said Børge Bjørneklett, CEO and Founder of Ocean Sun.

CEO of PLOCAN, José Joaquín Hernández Brito, said: “The BOOST project in the Canary Islands symbolizes a significant advance towards the sustainable use of our marine and maritime resources, demonstrating how innovation and collaboration can offer effective solutions to global challenges such as climate change and energy transformation.”