An unusual power plant may appear in the North Sea – solar panels that will slide on the waves like inflatable mats. The pilot project called Merganser is to be financed by the German energy company RWE. This was reported by CNBC.
The panels will be installed in Belgian waters. In total, they will have a capacity of 0.5 MW. It is known that Merganser will be the first pilot project of the Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck.
The pilot project will help research the technology, which RWE plans to commercialize as early as next year. In the long term, the technology will be used in a larger demonstration project at the Hollandse Kust West offshore wind farm.
“The integration of offshore floating solar into an offshore wind farm is a more efficient use of ocean space for energy generation,” says RWE.
The idea of combining wind and solar energy is not new. The Hollandse Kust wind farm, which will also be located in the North Sea, plans to deploy floating solar technology.
Portuguese energy company EDP has already opened a floating solar park this month. It has a capacity of 5 MW and consists of 12,000 panels. EDP will continue to invest in hybridization as it offers the opportunity to produce cheaper energy and save resources.
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