Solar power demonstrator launched
Installation of Japan’s first offshore floating solar photovoltaic power plant has been completed (Source: SolarDuck)
Tokyo-based Tokyu Land Corporation, Rotterdam-headquartered SolarDuck, and US-based Kyocera Communication Systems Corporation, have completed the installation of Japan’s first offshore floating solar photovoltaic (OFPV) power plant in Tokyo Bay.
During the 2024 financial year, SolarDuck and partner Everblue Technologies Inc, will carry out demonstrations of power generated using OFPV technology. The electricity will then be stored in batteries which, in turn, will be transported to energy consumers on land.
Initially, the renewable energy generated will provide power for electric mobility vehicles and an electric boat. However, scope to use renewable energy for future events to be held in the Takeshiba area of Tokyo Bay will also be assessed.
As a major energy consuming region, Tokyo is dependent on power transmitted from its suburbs. However, if the project proves a success, it could pave the way for an urban energy model where local energy demand could be met by local production in the Tokyo Bay area. The model could then be rolled out to other regions in Japan and beyond.
Dutch-Norwegian SolarDuck is a cleantech company that aims to supply its patented OFPV-generated electricity to various consumers, with a target of generating one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2030. The company believes that floating offshore energy holds significant decarbonisation potential against a backdrop of limited space on land.
SolarDuck’s technology offers an attractive value proposition in a wide range of applications, the company claimed, including islands in the Sunbelt to hybrid offshore parks in the North Sea.
