Offshore solar schaalt op naar Gigawatten: Oceans of Energy en 15 toonaangevende Europese partners starten project voor opschaling van offshore zonne-energie  

 

Sassenheim, Nederland, 12th of February – Oceans of Energy kondigt samen met vijftien toonaangevende Europese partners de start van een gezamenlijk EU Joint Industry project aan, waarin offshore solar wordt opgeschaald naar standaard formaten van 150 MW, waarmee het mogelijk wordt om parken van Gigawatt-schaal te bouwen. Dit zal een nieuwe standaard worden in de offshore wind- en zonne industrie . Het plaatsen van zonneparken binnen offshore windparken zorgt voor een beter gebruik van de ruimte op zee, verhoogt de energieproductie, zorgt voor een meer continue energiestroom en zal de kosten voor schone elektriciteitsproductie op zee  verlagen.  

 

“Oceans of Energy is trots om ‘Zon op Zee’ weer verder te leiden naar een echte gamechanger in de energietransitie door deze standard voor grootschalige offshore zonneparken te ontwikkelen” zegt Allard van Hoeken, oprichter en CEO van Oceans of Energy. “Offshore zonne-energie draagt steeds meer bij aan de energietransitie in de Noordzee”, vervolgt hij. “Het standaard offshore zon formaat past tussen vier windturbines op zee. Dit maakt gecombineerde offshore energieparken mogelijk met minder gebruik van schaarse ruimte op land en op zee.” 

 

Oceans of Energy is een pionier in zon- op–zee technologie. Het bedrijf heeft in 2019 ’s werelds eerste offshore zonnepark voor hoge golven geïnstalleerd, in de Noordzee. Momenteel bouwen zij de volgende wereldprimeur,  een offshore zonnepark dat wordt geïnstalleerd binnen het Shell/Eneco Hollandse Kust Noord offshore windpark. De missie van Oceans of Energy is om hernieuwbare energie op te wekken in harmonie met natuur, voor alle mensen die wereldwijd in kustgebieden wonen. 

 

“Dit project zal bijdragen aan een succesvolle businesscases voor offshore solar,” verklaart Andrea Bombardi, Executive Vice President Carbon Reduction Excellence bij RINA. “RINA zal, dankzij haar ervaring in energieopwekkingsrendementsanalysesvan zonneparken en haar expertise in drijvende offshore systemen, pionierswerk verrichten voor de ontwikkeling van een energieopbrengstvoorspellingsmodel voor deze opkomende technologie. We zullen onze competenties inzetten op het gebied van offshore technologie, statische en dynamische exportkabelanalyses en kabellayout configuraties, recyclestrategieën voor PV panelen en elektrische componenten en coördinatie van door EU gefinancierde projecten.” 

 

De samenwerking, gecoördineerd door RINA, tussen de offshore zonne-energieontwikkelaar Oceans of Energy, vier technologieontwikkelaars (Solarge, TKF, Pauwels Transformers, Solarcleano), vijf technische  en milieu adviesbureaus (RINA, ABS, Aquatera Ltd, Aquatera Atlantico en WavEC), drie laboratoria (MARIN, Fraunhofer CSP, SIRRIS), de maritieme beleidsdenktank European Marine Board, en de offshore windparkontwikkelaar Vattenfall als potentiële klant voor de implementatie, heeft tot doel om resterende uitdagingen voor de uitrol van grootschalige offshore zonne-energie in nieuwe en bestaande windparken aan te pakken. Dit omvat het aantonen van de robuustheid en performance van de zonnepanelen onder offshore omstandigheden, evenals het onderzoeken van de impact op het milieu en het waarborgen van duurzaamheid in de gehele waardeketen voor deze opkomende industrie.   

Het beoogde resultaat is dat het project, BAMBOO (Build scAlable Modular Bamboo-inspired Offshore sOlar systems) genaamd, de technologie marktklaar maakt en de investeringen aantrekt voor het eerste unieke offshore zonnepark van 100-200 MW in een Vattenfall offshore windpark vóór het einde van het decennium. Bij welk windpark dit zal plaatsvinden moet nog worden besloten. 

Lagere investeringen in het totale energiesysteem  

De complementariteit van energieprofielen van zon en wind maakt het mogelijk dat het park dezelfde grid connectie efficiënter kan gebruiken, waardoor de noodzaak voor investeringen in kabelinfrastructuur en het energiesysteem wordt verminderd. Bovendien kan de benodigde ruimte, zowel op land als op zee, voor het opwekken van hernieuwbare energie drastisch worden verminderd door de ruimte voor offshore windparken ook te gebruiken voor offshore zonneparken. Daarnaast kan de grotere schaal van offshore zonneparken de milieueffecten per geïnstalleerd vermogen verminderen, door relatief minder gebruik van ankers op de zeebodem en het centraliseren van één kabel voor een groter drijvend eiland.   

Ontwikkelen van internationale standaarden  

Het project zal bijdragen aan de ontwikkeling van internationale standaarden en test methodologieën voor offshore zonne-energietechnologie. Hiervoor zal het innovatieprogramma hydrodynamische testen uitvoeren bij MARIN, klimaatkamertesten bij SIRRIS, en levensduurtesten onder offshore omstandigheden bij Fraunhofer. Binnen dit project wordt ook  onderzoek gedaan naar het beter voorspellen en presteren van de levensduur van zonnepanelen op zee .. Er zal ook veel aandacht zijn voorhet meten en voorspellen van de milieu-impact van de technologie, en voor natuur-inclusieve ontwerpen en duurzame end-of-life  strategieën. Daarnaast zijn er activiteiten die bijdragen aan duidelijk afgestemde internationale beleidskaders inclusief milieueffectenbeoordelingscriteria.  

/// EINDE PERSBERICHT /// 

Pers contact: Ariane van Hoeken, Oceans of Energy B.V., ariane@oceansofenergy.blue, +31 648650937 

About the partners

About Oceans of Energy
Oceans of Energy is the pioneering company that brought Offshore Solar in high waves from a (perceived) impossibility to a reality. Founded in 2016, this Dutch company has since grown to sixty employees, and has proven its offshore solar solution in the North Sea since 2019. Oceans of Energy offers standardized integrated offshore solar farm hardware, EPCI-services for installation and commissioning, Asset management services  and broad environmental expertise. The company has attracted €30 million in funding so far. Projects include the offshore solar innovationat the Crosswind (Shell & Eneco) Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm and are amongst others supported by RVO, MIT-Zuid-Holland, REACT EU, INTERREG, Horizon-2020, Horizon Europe programs.  

About RINA 
RINA, leading certification company and engineering company in Italy, provides a wide range of services across the Energy, Marine, Certification, Infrastructure & Mobility, Real Estate, and Industry sectors. With revenues in 2022 of 725 million euros, 5,300 employees and 200 offices in 70 countries worldwide, RINA is a member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards.

About Pauwels Transformers 
From its established manufacturing base in Belgium, Pauwels Transformers spans all over the globe and along with its listed parent group “EIC” companies employs more than 1.600 employees worldwide. With more than 75 years’ experience in the design , manufacturing and services of high-quality, cost-efficient electrical equipment, Pauwels Transformers also offers extensive services in all related fields, focusing on liquid-filled distribution and power transformers turnkey electrical transmission solutions. The company is an established reputable and reliable partner in electrical power engineering, using the most advanced technology and the highest production standards. 

About Solarge International
 Solarge is a leading innovator in sustainable solar energy solutions. The company specializes in manufacturing sustainable, lightweight products suitable for installation on rooftops with limited load-bearing capacity, eliminating the need for extensive roof reinforcement. It prides itself on the ultra-low carbon footprint and on the circularity of its solar panels, which are designed with full sustainability in mind. Composed of premium lightweight materials developed in close cooperation with SABIC, these panels can be fully recycled at the end of their 25-year lifespan to produce new solar panels. Founded in 2018, in Weert, The Netherlands, Solarge is currently one of the leading suppliers of lightweight solar panels in Europe, with the ambition to grow its global footprint. At Solarge, energy transition and sustainability sit at the heart of our vision, ensuring we optimize the power of the sun to foster a livable planet. 

About Twentsche KabelFabriek / TKF
 Since its founding in 1930, TKF has developed towards a technologically leading supplier of connectivity solutions. TKF designs, manufactures and delivers low-, medium- and high- voltage cable solutions which enable the energy transition. With this complete portfolio of cables, systems and services, we offer customers worldwide innovative and sustainable solutions for creating safe and reliable energy and data connections. We make this possible with more than 900 colleagues. TKF is headquartered in the Netherlands. As part of the technology company TKH Group NV, TKF has access to groundbreaking solutions, concepts and technologies. 

About SolarCleano
 SolarCleano is a Luxembourg-based robotics company that aims to provide innovative robotic solutions for solar panel maintenance. The company was born by combining mechanical design expertise with solid experience in solar panel cleaning. At SolarCleano, we meet challenges with solutions. We constantly update our robotic solar panel cleaning systems and develop predictive maintenance solar technologies to offer customised electricity production efficiency increase to our customers. SolarCleano robots are already active in more than 90 countries on 5 continents, and we are continuously looking to broad our reach to new markets. 

About Aquatera Atlántico 
 Aquatera Atlántico, an SME founded in 2021 and based in the Canary Islands, is the headquarters of Aquatera Group in Europe, offering specialised consulting services in the blue economy sectors, with recognised expertise in blue energy through extensive knowledge acquired during more than 20 years of experience in Aquatera Group projects and initiatives in these sectors around the world. 

About Aquatera Limited 
 Headquartered in the Orkney Islands off northern Scotland, Aquatera Limited is Aquatera Group’s flagship consultancy business, providing innovative environmental and sustainability solutions for the future.  The integrated Aquatera Group team provides services and support across a wide range of sectors to governments, industry and communities around the world, to encourage and deliver sustainable development of communities and resources whilst appropriately safeguarding its ecosystems, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.  The team is actively engaged in delivering strategic, pioneering initiatives delivering energy transition and sustainable development.    

About ABS 
 ABS, a leading global provider of classification and technical advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, is committed to setting standards for safety and excellence in design and construction. Focused on safe and practical application of advanced technologies and digital solutions, ABS works with industry and clients to develop accurate and cost-effective compliance, optimized performance, and operational efficiency for marine and offshore assets. 

About Fraunhofer CSP 
 The Fraunhofer CSP, a joint facility of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructures of Materials and Systems IMWS and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, is your partner for reliability evaluation of solar cells, modules and systems under laboratory and application conditions as well as for chemical, electrical, optical and microstructural material and component characterization. Together with our customers, we develop new technologies, measurement methods, devices, manufacturing processes and product concepts along the entire photovoltaic value chain. 

About MARIN 
 Our aim is to make ships and operations safer, cleaner and smarter and contribute to a sustainable use of the ocean. We want to accomplish this as an independent, reliable and innovative knowledge partner for the maritime sector, government and society. By combining all of our methods we aim to provide solutions for concept development, design and operation. This is why we strive to hold a worldwide leading position in developing, applying and passing on our hydrodynamic and nautical knowledge, and linking this to the related fields. As an independent partner we want to work together and stimulate innovations within the maritime sector as well as in the academic world.  

About SIRRIS 
 As the collective centre of the technology industry, Sirris is the trusted reference for technology adoption in Belgium. We help companies to realise their innovation ambitions with hands-on support. At the heart of our services stand over 150 multi-disciplinary experts and a broad set of industrial labs spread over 8 sites, backed by the country’s most extensive innovation network. They ensure about 1,300 organisations a year reap the benefits of technological innovation. One expertise area is focussing on energy transition technology in harsh environments. Sirris is also partners of OWI-Lab, an RD&I initiative to support innovation in offshore wind.   

About Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a leading European energy company, which for more than 100 years has electrified industries, supplied energy to people’s homes and modernised people’s way of living through innovation and collaboration. We work to enable the fossil freedom that drives society forward. We are committed to building a future where everyone can choose fossil free ways to move, make and live. Our goal is net zero emissions in our entire value chain by 2040 at the latest. We employ approximately 20,000 people, have around 14 million customers and operate mainly in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK. Vattenfall is fully owned by the Swedish state. For more information visit: Fossil freedom  

About WavEC 
 Established in 2003 as a private non-profit association, WavEC has been devoted to advancing marine renewable energies (wind and wave energy) and their associated technologies. More recently, it has broadened its focus to encompass emerging domains like ocean monitoring, offshore aquaculture, hydrogen production and storage, and solar energy (in dams and offshore). This expansion aligns with the context of decarbonization, digitization, and circularity. WavEC serves as a central intermediary between science and industry, boasting a comprehensive network of partners and international recognition as a centre of excellence in its field.  

About European Marine Board 
The European Marine Board (EMB) is the leading European think tank in marine science policy and a unique strategic pan-European Forum for seas and ocean research and technology. As an independent, self-sustaining, non-governmental advisory body, the EMB transfers knowledge between the scientific community and decision makers, promoting Europe’s leadership in marine research and technology. We provide a strategic forum to develop marine research foresight, initiate state-of-the-art analyses and translate these into clear policy recommendations to European institutions as well as national governments.