SolarinBlue receives €6m for offshore solar farm
Summary
French company SolarinBlue has been awarded 6m ($6.44m) by the French Government for its offshore solar project as part of the France 2030 programme.The programme, operated by the French Agency for Ecological Transition, ADEME, will support the M\xe9ga S\xe8te pre-commercial demonstrator project for a floating solar farm in the S\xe8te-Frontignan commercial port district, on the site of a former oil unloading station.The farm will be built by SolarinBlue in partnership with Technip Energies, the University of Montpellier and Sorbonne Universitys Banyuls Oceanological Observatory.The project will build on the technological advances and expertise accumulated through the first demonstrator, SunS\xe8te, which was inaugurated in 2023 and will be replaced by M\xe9ga S\xe8te. The SunS\xe8te pilot project was able to generate 300kW of power, with 12m-long modules designed to withstand high seas.Commissioning for M\xe9ga S\xe8te is scheduled for the end of 2025, and it is expected to be the first 1MWp (megawatt peak) offshore solar farm in France and the Mediterranean Sea.Aur\xe9lien Croq, chief executive of SolarinBlue, said: M\xe9ga S\xe8te will be certified for waves of more than 10m. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Tick here to opt out of curated industry news, reports, and event updates from Power Technology. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.According to SolarinBlue, the solar farm will cover one hectare and is expected to produce more than 1.3 gigawatt-hours annually, with the electricity generated being transported via a submarine cable to the port of S\xe8te-Frontignan, supporting the regions strategy to decarbonise energy consumption.SolarinBlues technology is compatible with fixed and floating offshore wind farms, allowing shared connections to reduce infrastructure costs and increase renewable electricity production at the same site.Antoine Retaillieau, co-founder of SolarinBlue, said: SolarinBlue has brought together leading industrial and academic players at M\xe9ga S\xe8te to set the first milestone in the industrialisation of our technology.SolarinBlues project comes as France is looking to further develop solar power. In April, French authorities announced plans to launch tenders to supply 240MW of solar power capacity along the countrys highways.