The BOOST project consortium, coordinated by Norwegian company Ocean Sun, has deployed a 270 kWp-rated offshore floating solar demonstrator close to the port of Tazacorte at La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands.
Partially funded by the European Union, the demonstrator is said to be the largest of its kind in Europe.
It is a 50-meter diameter system featuring solar modules supplied by Chinese manufacturer GCL SI.
Aside from Ocean Sun, the BOOST consortium includes Innosea, Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (Plocan), the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC) and Fred. Olsen Renewables.
The deployment marks the culmination of a three-year-long R&D project focused on demonstrating and validating a solution for seawater floating photovoltaic system.
During the project Ocean Sun’s technology has been analysed by Innosea and tested at the SINTEF Ocean basin laboratory.
Furthermore, the project has obtained a site-specific design verification from DNV according to the Ocean Sun’s design premise, confirming the designs suitability for deployment.
The final installation was carried out in the port of Tazacorte, made possible through collaboration with ACUIPALMA and the support of institutions such as Puertos Canarios and the Cabildo de La Palma.
BOOST represents a pivotal step in La Palma’s transition to sustainable energy, promoting innovation and sustainability. Additionally, it contributes to positioning the port of Tazacorte as a center of innovation in port decarbonization in the Canary Islands, according to the BOOST consortium.
“This latest system deployed in the southernmost part of Europe serves as a powerful demonstrator for the exploitation of the limitless solar resources at sea. Successful operation of the special membrane solution in these waters will pave the way for abundant supply of affordable renewable energy,” said Børge Bjørneklett, CEO and Founder of Ocean Sun.
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