Specially designed floating PV panels that can be used at sea are to be towed offshore, anchored, and put into operation to gather data for at least a year starting in August.
SeaVolt, a collaboration between Tractebel, DEME, and Jan De Nul, will install the test platform in the Belgian North Sea. The platform floatation system is currently located in the port of Ostend, where main contractor Equans is finalizing assembly.
SeaVolt says its technology is designed for rough seas and its modular design, will complement offshore wind farms.
Under the framework of the Blue Cluster funded research project MPVAQUA and additional support from the federal government via BELSPO, the partners within SeaVolt together with Ghent University (UGENT) are ready to conduct a year-round open-sea testing inside the POM-West Vlaanderen owned ‘Blue Accelerator offshore test zone’. This proof of concept installation will gather data on the impact of waves, rain and salt sprays on various solar panels with different PV panel configurations. In addition, the impact of varying inclinations, caused by waves and wind, on the energy output will be monitored. The test also aims to determine the level of protection required to shield the solar panels from seawater and bird droppings.
Optical embedded fibres and sensors attached to the structure will assess if the structural integrity of the material is in line with the numerical models and results ocean wave tank and wind tunnel tests.
As well as Belgian ambitions, Dutch government aims to have 3 GW of offshore solar energy in operation by 2030, and it has projects under development up to 100 MW.