Statkraft gives go-ahead for reconstruction of Albania’s floating solar unit

Europe’s largest renewable energy generator Statkraft has approved the reconstruction of the 0.5MW floating solar unit in Albania, following the retrieval of the power plant to shore after suffering severe damage earlier this year.

According to Ocean Sun, a Norway-based floating solar specialist which is a subcontractor in the project and technology provider, the notice to proceed with the reconstruction has been issued by Statkraft, which operates the 72MW Banja hydropower plant where the floating solar unit is located.

To remind, the 0.5MW floating solar unit was severely damaged in June 2021, forcing the developers to retrieve the unit ashore.

Following a thorough root cause analysis for the failure – launched immediately after the incident – the weather conditions were identified as the main cause, with wind speeds above the design criteria applied for the solution installed.

Since, Ocean Sun presented Statkraft with a plan for the continuation of the project to get the first floater back in operation during 2021 and the full 2MWp operational in 2022, which has now been approved.

“We are now in the position to reconstruct this first 0.5MW floater. This will be the step one for the 2MW total planned for the site, that will consist of four rings”, said Børge Bjørneklett, founder and CEO of Ocean Sun.

The companies aim to reconstruct the unit during December 2021, or early in 2022 the latest. After that, three additional units – each rated at 0.5MW – will be added to the site to form a 2MW power plant.

This is expected to be competed in 2022, according to project developers.

“The materials are on site, for at least the majority of them, and we hope to start this very soon”, added Bjørneklett.

The first 0.5MWp floater was successfully built and equipped with around 1600 panels during two effective days of installation – a record-breaking speed that demonstrated Ocean Sun’s claims regarding fast and easy installation.

The system was officially launched by Albania’s minister of energy, Belinda Balluku, and connected to the Albanian grid in early June 2021.