Stanford Qingdao Research Institute introduced a new type of offshore floating solar power platform SolarDuck, and the Dutch start-up company SolarDuck has developed an innovative offshore floating solar solution that is very suitable for offshore conditions. The new offshore floating solar platform King Eider has obtained the BV Classification Society’s Approval in Principle (AiP), which is the first time that offshore floating solar technology has obtained this type of certification.
The world has put forward the goal of carbon neutrality, and governments around the world have made commitments to reduce carbon emissions and transform to a fossil-fuel-free economy. Achieving these goals is challenging. First, the global population is expected to increase, and the corresponding energy consumption will also increase. Second, the urbanization process will continue to reduce the limited land reserved for renewable energy generation.
Most of the world’s population lives in sunny places. Solar energy is expected to play a leading role in this transition (from a fossil fuel economy to a renewable energy economy). Many highly urbanized areas are located in sunny areas and coastal areas. Solar energy will enter the sea along the trajectory of wind energy.
Bringing solar energy into the ocean in a relatively eco-friendly and socially responsible way would relieve pressure on land and allow the development of utility-scale solar farms. SolarDuck has successfully developed the required technology. SolarDuck will electrify the world with floating solar energy.
SolarDuck targets sunny areas. Most of these are in the "sun Belt," a sun-rich ring around the equator whose northern border is in the Mediterranean Sea, stretching south of Cape Town. The sunbelt has the fastest growing population and the greatest potential for solar energy.
SolarDuck's target market is segmented as follows：
- Large cities/urbanized areas and islands, which lack space to develop solar energy on land;
- Offshore operators seek decarbonization operations;
- Inland lakes and rivers with waves exceeding 1 m and currents or strong winds.
Offshore solar needs to cope with the harsh offshore elements while remaining cost competitive. SolarDuck has successfully developed the required technology.
The triangular platforms connected together can easily follow the waves. The photovoltaic system and all mechanical components are suspended above the water to prevent direct contact with waves. Floating objects reduce drag, thereby reducing mooring costs. The system can cope with hurricanes and strong winds. It is designed with safety in mind and almost no maintenance is required. The device is designed to have a service life of more than 30 years.
SolarDuck allows attractive LCoE (Levelized Cost of Energy). We can support our customers from site assessment and mooring design to turnkey delivery of solar power stations. Define scope on a project basis in close cooperation with the customer and/or EPC contractor.
Although the SolarDuck solar farm was designed for utility scale, it is highly configurable. A full-scale power plant of normal size has a power output of about 10 MWp. These power plants can be combined to create a larger power plant with an unlimited range of capabilities.
Technical indicators:
-Triangle platform size: 24x24x24m
-Average output per platform: 40KWp
-Number of platforms for 10 MWp power plants: 240-mooring: ~40 anchors
-Effective wave height: >5.0m
-Maximum wind speed: >65m/s
-Certification: B.V.N I572 & NI631 & NR445
Mission:
Power the world with floating solar energy at sea.
To provide universally affordable renewable electricity resources to society through the delivery of turnkey projects and highly profitable offshore floating solar platforms.
Committed to becoming an industry leader:
The management has extensive experience in the following areas:
Maritime Technology
Building Construction
(Renewable) project development
Strategy, management and finance
A network of developers and investors in the global (renewable) energy sector