Posted On: 19-01-2021
Norwegian energy major Equinor, in collaboration with Saipem company Moss Maritime, plans to build and test a pilot floating solar plant off Frøya in Norway in the late summer of 2021. The project is set to become the world’s first pilot plant for floating solar power in rough waters, according to Equinor. The company has filed an application with the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate for a plant planned to measure 80 m x 80 m, and tower less than 3 metres over the sea surface. The purpose of the pilot plant is not primarily to see how much energy it can produce, but how the weather conditions affect the plant, Equinor noted. The Norwegian coast and continental shelf are world-class when it comes to oil, gas and wind, but when it comes to sun, other regions offer better conditions. As a test area, Frøya is still very suitable. According to the plans, the pilot will be tested for minimum one year. Hanne Wigum, head of the Equinor technology unit focusing on wind and solar power, said: “The municipality of Frøya has been a good collaboration partner for us. We have reached an agreement with the grid owner, allowing the electricity that is produced to enter the power grid on Frøya. In addition, the nearness to our research centre in Trondheim, and the expertise possessed by the Sintef and NTNU research institutions,
represent an advantage for us”.
(Credits: www.offshore-energy.biz)
