SolarDuck to build offshore floating solar pilot as potential partner for offshore wind

German energy company RWE is to partner with Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck to build a 500kW pilot of an offshore floating solar farm that could be paired with offshore wind facilities

SolarDuck’s first offshore floating solar farm will be built – in 2023 – off the coast of Ostend in the Belgian North Sea and which will have a nameplate capacity of 500kW.

It is the first step in a larger collaboration between the two companies which will also see SolarDuck’s floating solar technology integrated into RWE’s bid to build the Hollandse Kust West (HKW) offshore wind farm in the Netherlands.

“For countries with lower mean wind speeds but high solar irradiation, this opens up attractive opportunities,” said Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of offshore wind at RWE Renewables.

“With the SolarDuck pilot we are gaining experience with a highly innovative offshore floating solar technology. We want to contribute to accelerate the energy transition, have a positive impact on marine ecology and help to integrate energy systems.”

SolarDuck’s floating solar technology uses triangular-shaped platforms that have received the world’s first certification for offshore floating solar by Bureau Veritas.

Designed to float several metres above the water and follow the waves like a carpet, helping to withstand rough offshore sea conditions, the technology keeps critical electrical components dry, clean, and stable.

“Showcasing SolarDuck’s robust technology in rough North Sea conditions will enable us to deploy the technology practically anywhere in the world,” said Koen Burgers, SolarDuck’s CEO.

“We are very pleased that we found in RWE a strong partner who shares our vision of electrifying the world with offshore floating solar.”