Nautical SUNRISE initiative spearheads offshore floating solar power advancements

The Nautical SUNRISE initiative aims to support the world's largest Offshore Floating Solar (OFS) power project. With a budget of €8.4 million, predominantly funded by the Horizon Europe programme to the tune of €6.8 million, the project commenced in December 2023. Its primary objective is to research and develop OFS systems and their components, paving the way for widespread deployment and commercialisation, either as standalone units or integrated within offshore wind farms.

The project seeks to design, construct, and demonstrate a 5 MW offshore floating solar system, employing the modular solution provided by Dutch floating solar company SolarDuck. RWE, a key player, is set to finance the installation and deployment. This system will be strategically positioned within RWE's OranjeWind (Hollandse Kust West VII) wind farm off the western coast of The Netherlands.

Before proceeding with the offshore deployment, the Nautical SUNRISE consortium plans to undertake extensive research and testing to ensure offshore floating solar systems' reliability, survivability, electrical stability, and efficiency. A robust scale-up strategy will be developed to tackle challenges and capitalize on opportunities, driving forward the commercial adoption of offshore floating solar technology.

Nautical SUNRISE prioritises sustainability by evaluating the environmental impact and sustainability of Offshore Floating Solar (OFS) systems. This initiative entails assessing the environmental footprint, circularity, and overall life cycle sustainability of OFS. The evaluation extends beyond the demonstrator project to encompass multiple GW-scale commercial projects, fostering a thorough comprehension of the technology's ecological consequences.

The Nautical SUNRISE consortium eagerly anticipates leading the transition into a new era of offshore renewable energy, thereby playing a pivotal role in shaping a more sustainable future for future generations.

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Nautical SUNRISE consortium partners

The project is made possible via a collaboration of its partners: project lead Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), SolarDuck, RWE, Blunova - a Carlo Maresca Group company, Bridon-Bekaert the Ropes Group, Deltares, Hasselt University (UHasselt), KU Leuven, Oxford PV, SINTEF Industry, SINTEF Ocean, The Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC-CERCA), INESC TEC, and WavEC Offshore Renewables.

Let's know about SolarDuck

SolarDuck is a Dutch-Norwegian cleantech company bringing a world-class Offshore Floating Solar solution to market. The company aims to electrify the world with OFS using its unique and patented technology by deploying 1GW of renewable energy by 2030.

The CTOs statement

Don Hoogendoorn, the CTO of SolarDuck, said,

"This subsidy allows SolarDuck with its partners to push the environmental boundary of the design and at the same time get an in-depth understanding of the ecology and reliability of the design."

Simon Stark, the CTO of DMEC, said,

"We are excited to coordinate the Nautical SUNRISE project as one of the flagship initiatives of offshore solar in Europe. Not only do we have the chance to address important knowledge gaps around offshore solar's design and environmental impact. With RWE and the OranjeWind consortium, we can fully align and integrate with a commercial offshore wind park."