The Dutch offshore specialist Oceans of Energy has been granted approval in principle by Bureau Veritas for the system design of an offshore solar park. It is the world's first offshore solar park that has also proven itself in high waves. A first "solar farm" with an output of 50 KW has already been in operation in the North Sea since 2019 for testing and verification purposes.
System structure
Instead of heavy structures anchored in the seabed above the sea surface, which are normally used for offshore technologies, the offshore solar park system is modular and lightweight. It uses the sea surface directly as a support - like a water lily floating on the surface of the water. In order to be able to withstand high waves and rough seas, an innovative system is being used for the first time in the offshore sector that combines rigid and flexible structures and enables the system to "ride the waves". Thanks to its modularity, the system can be extended to any size in the commercial expansion phase.
Examination and authorisation
Since its commissioning four years ago, the system has also proven itself in severe storms with wave heights of almost ten metres. Heights of up to 13 metres have been successfully tested in the wave channel. The basic approval by the accompanying Bureau Veritas covers all elements of such an offshore solar park - from the design principles of the manufacturing company Oceans of Energy, the floats developed, the solar modules installed and the anchoring system, through to the verifications in model tests.
The certification "is testimony to a solid technology, a feasible and solid concept and recognition as a leading technology with a promising future," said Allard van Hoeken, Founder and CEO of Oceans of Energy. Laurent Leblanc, from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, added: "We have extensive experience in the marine and offshore market, which helps us to provide relevant and efficient support to pioneers like Oceans of Energy."
Outlook and challenges
This approval in principle will pave the way for Oceans of Energy to further develop and commercialise the project so that low-cost electricity can be generated offshore in the future - even in bad weather.
After patting each other on the back, however, unanswered questions remain:
How will the electricity get to land and how or where will it be distributed? With the current discussions in Germany about north-south routes with overland lines and converters, which nobody wants, exciting discussions remain about the financing and installation of such area-utilising and foreseeably inexpensive energy generation plants.
Installations of this type will not only be part of the critical infrastructure in Germany and will have to be protected by maritime forces. In addition to offshore wind farms and submarine cables, offshore solar parks are now also being considered! Are manufacturers and operators also asking themselves such questions and are they being taken into account in the development of national security strategies?
Source: gCaptain, Veritas Marine, OOE
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