SolarDuck, partners get EUR-7.8m Dutch subsidy for 500-kWp offshore solar pilot

Dutch-Norwegian company SolarDuck, as part of a consortium, has received a EUR-7.8-million (USD 8m) subsidy from RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) for a 500-kWp pilot offshore floating solar installation.

The consortium, including SolarDuck and research institutes TU Delft, TNO, MARIN and Deltares, will develop and test the Merganser solar energy platform in North Sea weather conditions. The pilot will consist of six interconnected platforms.

The subsidy is awarded under the Demonstration Energy & Climate Innovation (DEI+) programme.

“We are very proud to have the DEI+ subsidy on board to build a scalable floating solar energy solution. Based on our first, successful pilot in 2021, our technology has already obtained an Approval in Principal from Bureau Veritas,” SolarDuck CTO Don Hoogendoorn said in a press release on Thursday.

The project is due to complete testing and monitoring by the end of 2024.

The consortium will also develop the requirements for a commercial scale project of at least 5 MWp.

Last week, SolarDuck announced it will build a 5-MW floating solar power plant as part of the Hollandse Kust West VII offshore wind park in the Netherlands in partnership with RWE AG (ETR:RWE).

(EUR 1 = USD 1.032)

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