With the support of RWE, the Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck says that it has installed its offshore floating solar (OFPV) project, Merganser.
The pilot project aims to test and demonstrate the structural, mooring and electrical designs and acquire knowledge about manufacturing, assembly, offshore installation and maintenance methodologies required for large-scale commercial deployment of OFPV.
Merganser has a capacity of 0.5 megawatt peak (MWp) and is located in the Dutch North Sea, approximately 12 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen.
The scalable concept consists of six interconnected platforms that can withstand extreme offshore conditions. The floating platforms were successfully connected to the mooring system in water depth of 20 meters. RWE will continue to provide its offshore expertise and technical support to the pilot project.
Over the coming two years, Merganser will be monitored remotely with its more than 180 sensors fitted to monitor structural loads, connector and mooring loads and electrical performance, among other important performance criteria.
Further to the above, Deltares – a Dutch independent institute for applied research – will support an extensive monitoring campaign on the ecological impact of OFPV.
