Spain’s first pre-commercial marine solar demonstrator enters testing

Spain’s first pre-commercial marine solar demonstrator has entered the testing phase at the Port of Valencia. Developed by BlueNewables in collaboration with Naturgy, the 1 MW installation will be used to assess the performance of floating PV technology under real marine conditions, including its operation and maintenance requirements and integration into port infrastructure.

The demonstrator comprises two 500 kW PV-bos platforms built at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo. The first platform was launched at the shipyard in May, before arriving at the Port of Valencia for testing. The units, named Paiporta and Catarroja after two Valencian municipalities affected by the 2024 DANA storm, are now undergoing testing and monitoring in the waters of the port.

The testing phase will gather data on system performance, operation and maintenance, and the integration of the platforms into the port environment. The companies will also monitor technical incidents, operating costs and maintenance requirements as the project progresses.

Both systems use PV-bos, a floating PV solution designed for deployment in locations where land is scarce or expensive, as well as in ports, island systems and areas with grid capacity constraints. Its modular design allows the system to be adapted to different sites and project scales.

The demonstrator is part of Renmarinas Valenciaport, an initiative funded by Spain’s Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) with European Union NextGenerationEU funds to test and demonstrate marine renewable energy technologies. As part of the initiative, the Port Authority of Valencia has developed a testing area with the infrastructure required to connect and test marine renewable energy demonstrators and feed the electricity they generate into the grid.

The testing infrastructure will also be available for future marine renewable energy projects. The two PV-bos platforms will provide data on the integration of floating PV systems into operational port infrastructure.

BlueNewables and Naturgy will exchange technical, operational, economic and strategic information collected during testing and subsequent monitoring over a two-year period. The analysis will cover system performance, technical incidents, operation and maintenance costs, and lessons learned from operating the demonstrator.