Last week, the first floating offshore photovoltaic platform developed under the Renovar project was launched at the Astilleros San Enrique shipyard in Vigo, Spain.
The project is led by Astilleros San Enrique, a Galician shipyard owned by Marina Meridional Group, and Tenerife-based engineering consultancy BlueNewables. It aims to develop renewable energy solutions for the maritime sector.
The platform is one of two 500 kW PhotoVoltaic-BlueNewables Offshore Solutions (PVBOS) units planned under the project. Together, the two platforms will form a 1 MW floating offshore PV system designed for operation in open-water conditions.
The project also seeks to advance floating PV platforms manufactured through industrialized and modular processes suited for large-scale production. Each structure features a 64 m x 41 m deck and supports 600 PV modules. According to the developers, BlueNewables’ patented design enables faster manufacturing, simplified maintenance, and higher energy yield.
The catamaran-style structure is designed for offshore conditions and raises the PV panels above sea level to improve energy production and facilitate maintenance. The system uses bifacial PV modules that can capture both direct solar radiation and light reflected from the sea surface.
“This first launch represents a decisive step in the prototype’s construction and validation process, allowing us to move from the shipyard manufacturing phase toward commissioning, grid connection, monitoring, and operational testing,” the project partners said.
Last summer, the keel was laid for another floating offshore PV platform at the Port of Valencia, where a separate 1 MW project is planned within the port area.
According to the project partners, Renovar is also intended to support diversification in the shipbuilding sector and strengthen the blue economy. The initiative aims to industrialize floating energy solutions through construction methods inspired by mass-production models, with the goal of reducing costs, shortening production times, and improving the competitiveness of offshore solar.
The project is funded by Spain’s Ministry of Industry and Tourism and includes the participation of Soermar, the Society for the Study of Maritime Resources.
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