Giant solar platforms want to join offshore wind as big hitters launch Seavolt

A floating solar system designed to withstand rough sea conditions and operate alongside offshore wind turbines has been unveiled by a trio of Belgian industrial heavyweights.

DEME, Tractebel and Jan De Nul aim for a first pilot outing for their Seavolt system off the coast of Belgium this summer, four years after starting its development with Ghent University.

The partners said the modular system, with the panels elevated above the water on a platform atop a “compact floater”, can be deployed using standard solar modules in harsh offshore conditions alongside wind turbines.

Philippe Van Troeye, Tractebel’s CEO, said: "In the same way that we have seen wind technology moving from land to the sea, we are seeing the extension of the whole energy system towards offshore locations.

"Along with offshore green fuel production, offshore energy islands, interconnectors and potential solutions for energy storage, we believe offshore floating PV has an important role to play in the acceleration of the energy transition."

Seavolt is one of a clutch of systems aiming to take PV out to sea with wind, adding to the growing boom in deployment of floating solar on lakes, reservoirs and other inland water surfaces.

Other contenders include SolarDuck, the Norway-based start-up planning North Sea arrays of its own.

Expert commentators have, however, warned of significant challenges facing solar operating in harsh marine environments.

A report published in 2022 for Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO highlighted “significant technological hurdles” for offshore PV, including fouling and degradation of panels, and specific grid integration issues.