Bekaert to perform mooring solution analysis for world’s largest offshore floating solar project

Belgian company Bekaert will deliver mooring solution analysis for Nautical SUNRISE, a research & development (R&D) project that will support the world’s largest floating solar plant.

“As part of this collaboration, our team will evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of various mooring solutions, including polyester, nylon, and new technologies such as the TFI Marine SeaSpring load reduction device,” said Christof Dewijngaert, General Manager of Synthetics at Bekaert.

“We are committed to exploring the stiffness characteristics of different mooring options under varying conditions, ensuring the optimal design for offshore floating PV.”

The Nautical SUNRISE project aims to design, construct, and showcase a 5 MW offshore floating solar system utilizing SolarDuck’s modular solution. RWE will fund the installation and deployment, with plans for electrical integration, certification, and placement within RWE’s OranjeWind (Hollandse Kust West VII) wind farm off the west coast of the Netherlands, Bekaert said.

The main goal of the project is to pave the way for large-scale deployment and commercialization of offshore floating solar systems, whether on their own or as part of offshore wind farms.

Within the Nautical SUNRISE consortium, Bekaert will leverage its experience in floating offshore wind and analyze the effects of innovative mooring solutions on solar PV systems.

Before offshore deployment, the Nautical SUNRISE consortium will research and test offshore floating solar systems to ensure reliability, survivability, electrical stability, and yield. A scale-up plan will tackle challenges and advance the commercialization of the systems, Bekaert said.

Nautical SUNRISE prioritizes sustainability by evaluating the environmental impact and sustainability of offshore floating solar. 

According to Bekaert, the project will analyze the environmental footprint, circularity, and overall life cycle sustainability of the systems, extending beyond the demonstrator project to include multiple GW-scale commercial projects, ensuring a thorough understanding of the technology’s ecological implications.

“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 the design and environmental impact of offshore solar. Together with RWE and the OranjeWind consortium, we can do so in full alignment and integration with a commercial offshore wind park,” said Simon Stark, CTO at DMEC.

The consortium behind the Nautical SUNRISE project comprises 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.

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