Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway — Fred. Olsen 1848 has deployed a 50 x 50-m, 124 kW floating solar pilot offshore Risør, Norway, which it expects to complete this spring.
The project is a testing ground for improving the components of the BRIZO floating PV technology, which is designed to follow the motion of the ocean while withstanding local offshore conditions.
The floating solar modules, which can operate in inland waterways, nearshore or fully offshore, can move individually within a pre-tensioned rope mesh, preventing collisions, the company claims. The design addresses the challenges posed by wave and wind loads as the environmental forces are distributed through the mesh and mooring system.
BRIZO is accompanied by an operations and maintenance catamaran. Next-phase work will focus on the foundational design work to support of a 3-MW system for commercial application.
According to the company, the pilot project served as a testing ground for scaling the concepts for larger-scale implementation and also provided experience in assembling and transporting floating solar modules, allowing processes to be streamlined for future applications.
It also established methods for pre-assembly of the system; proved the feasibility of the rope lock installation methodology; and also demonstrated reliable floating walkway access via the catamaran vessel for installation and ongoing operation and maintenance of the solar panels.
02.02.2024
