- Merganser, a 0.5 MWp offshore floating solar pilot, has been successfully installed at the North Sea Farmers offshore test site in the Dutch North Sea
- Next steps include technical and environmental monitoring to further investigate the technology
With the support of RWE, the Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck, has installed its offshore floating solar (OFPV) project, Merganser. The pilot project aims to test and demonstrate the structural, mooring and electrical designs and acquire knowledge about manufacturing, assembly, offshore installation and maintenance methodologies required for large-scale commercial deployment of OFPV.
Merganser has a capacity of 0.5 megawatt peak (MWp) and is located in the Dutch North Sea, approximately 12 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen. The scalable concept consists of six interconnected platforms that can withstand extreme offshore conditions. The floating platforms were successfully connected to the mooring system in water depth of 20 meters. RWE will continue to provide its offshore know-how and technical support to the pilot project.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind: “Standalone or also in combination with offshore wind farms, offshore floating solar could open up further offshore renewable energy opportunities – especially for countries with lower average wind speeds but lots of sunlight. With Merganser, we are gaining unique insights and first-hand experience in one of the most challenging offshore environments in the world.”
Taking solar farms offshore requires technology that is able to withstand rough offshore conditions. SolarDuck´s triangular-shaped platform is designed to float several meters above the water, following the waves like a carpet. In this way, the design is keeping critical components dry, clean and stable, as well as securing the structural integrity of the semi-submersible floating structure. The design received recently the world’s first certification for OFPV by Bureau Veritas.
Koen Burgers, CEO SolarDuck: “The successful installation of Merganser is proof of the dedication of SolarDuck’s team to electrify the world with offshore floating solar. However, we are not doing this alone. Our project partner, RWE, is a supporter of our technology and vision, in addition to other partners such as TNO, TU Delft, MARIN, and Deltares. Together with numerous supply chain partners, including Damen Shipyards, TMA, and Norsk Hydro, we have turned hard work into a positive change for the energy space.”
The combination of RWE´s leading global market position in offshore wind and SolarDuck´s technological ingenuity sets the perfect base for accelerating the deployment of OFPV. Over the coming two years, Merganser will be monitored remotely with its more than 180 sensors fitted to monitor structural loads, connector and mooring loads and electrical performance, among other important performance criteria. Further to the above, Deltares – a Dutch independent institute for applied research – will support an extensive monitoring campaign on the ecological impact of OFPV.
Further information:
RWE Offshore Wind
Sarah Knauber
Press spokesperson
T +49 (0) 201 5179 5404
SolarDuck
Kari-Lill Fredriksen
Communications Advisor
T +47 97151467
E kari-lill.fredriksen@solarduck.tech
SolarDuck
SolarDuck powers the world with clean solar energy by using state-of-the-art technology. SolarDuck is a Dutch-Norwegian offshore floating solar company with strong roots from the maritime industry. The company was established following a spin-off from Damen Shipyards (the largest shipbuilder in the Netherlands). Since then, SolarDuck has worked relentlessly towards the vision to ‘Electrify the world with offshore floating solar. SolarDuck generates offshore solar energy using its unique, state-of-the-art technology, which is fully scalable to match specific local requirements, worldwide. The company offers a sustainable solution to meet the world’s rising demand for energy, especially where the need for decarbonization and limited land space means the solution lies in the ocean space. SolarDuck’s technology offers an attractive value proposition in a wide array of user cases, ranging from islands in the sunbelt to hybrid offshore energy parks in the North Sea, including the Netherlands.
RWE
RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With its investment and growth strategy Growing Green, RWE is contributing significantly to the success of the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the energy system. Around 20,000 employees work for the company in almost 30 countries worldwide. RWE is already one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energy. Between 2024 and 2030, RWE will invest 55 billion euros worldwide in offshore and onshore wind, solar energy, batteries, flexible generation, and hydrogen projects. By the end of the decade, the company’s green portfolio will grow to more than 65 gigawatts of generation capacity, which will be perfectly complemented by global energy trading. RWE is decarbonising its business in line with the 1.5-degree reduction pathway and will phase out coal by 2030. RWE will be net-zero by 2040. Fully in line with the company’s purpose – Our energy for a sustainable life.
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations and assumptions of management, and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee the occurrence of future results and developments and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual future results and developments may deviate materially from the expectations and assumptions expressed in this document due to various factors. These factors primarily include changes in the general economic and competitive environment. Furthermore, developments on financial markets and changes in currency exchange rates as well as changes in national and international laws, in particular in respect of fiscal regulation, and other factors influence the companies’ future results and developments. Neither the companies nor any of its affiliates undertake to update the statements contained in this press release.
