Seaflex joins industry-wide FPV collaboration

The floating photovoltaic joint industry project will produce a verified recommended practice to be ready by Q1 2021.

The world-renowned organization DNV GL has launched a collaborative joint industry project (JIP) with 14 industry participants to develop the industry’s first recommended practice for floating solar power projects. The planned recommended practice will provide a commonly recognised standard based on a list of technical requirements for developing safe, reliable and sustainable floating solar projects.

The JIP will look at all aspects of developing floating solar projects on inland and inshore waters. It will focus on five key topics: site conditions assessment, energy yield forecast, mooring & anchoring systems, floating structures, permitting and environmental impact. The gobal consortium includes leading players from all areas of the floating solar power value chain. Seaflex has been invited to participate in the consortium as mooring experts, and will be focusing primarily on the topic of mooring & anchoring systems.

The other current members are:

• BayWa r.e. (Germany)
• Blue C Engineering (Germany
• Carpi Tech/Makor Energy (Switzerland/Israel)
• Ciel & Terre International (France)
• Compagnie Nationale du Rhone (France)
• Noria Energy (USA)
• EDF  – Électricité de France (France)
• EDP – Energias de Portugal S.A. (Portugal)
• Equinor (Norway)
• Isigenere (Spain)
• Mainstream Renewable Power (UK)
• Scatec Solar (Norway)
• Statkraft (Norway)

Drawing on existing standards from related sectors, the consortium plans to develop a draft guideline document by the end of 2020. This will be made available for widespread industry consultation before the publication of the verified recommended practice, currently scheduled for Q1 2021.

“We are excited to work with so many committed industry leaders to create a recommended practice that will provide clear guidelines and requirements for safe, performing and long-lived floating solar projects”, said Prajeev Rasiah, Executive Vice President for DNV GL’s Energy business in Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

For more information, please see the DNV GL official press release.