From pv magazine Spain
Naturgy, through its Innovahub innovation platform, and Spanish startup BlueNewables are promoting a project to develop floating photovoltaic technology for open-sea environments.
This initiative, which has received a grant from Spain’s Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) under the Renmarinas program, aims to explore new renewable solutions that contribute to the decarbonization of the energy system.
As part of the collaboration, Naturgy and BlueNewables will exchange technical, operational, strategic, and economic information generated during the development of the pilot project, covering both the manufacturing and testing phases. This cooperation will continue for two years after the system’s commissioning and will include performance data, technical issues, operational reports, cost information, lessons learned, and technology deployment strategies.
The project encompasses the design, manufacturing, commissioning, and monitoring of two 500 kW units optimized for operation in ocean environments. The technology is based on an innovative catamaran-type design that enables the use of more economical floats and positions the solar panels farther from direct wave impact, improving both maintenance and performance.
The system is currently under construction at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo, with commissioning scheduled for March 2026, after which real-world testing will begin at the Port of Valencia.
Last July, the Vigo-based San Enrique shipyard, part of the Marina Meridional group, laid the keel for the first of two floating electricity-generation platforms for the Canary Islands–based company BlueNewables in the Port of Valencia. This structure, with a 64 x 41-meter deck, will house 600 photovoltaic panels and is designed to produce approximately 0.50 MW of electricity. According to the company, its patented design enables rapid manufacturing, easy maintenance, and maximum electricity generation.
This first module is part of a project launched in March 2025 that includes two units of the PV-bos (PhotoVoltaic–Bluenewables Offshore Solutions) floating platform, with a total capacity of 1 MW. Installation and initial testing are planned for 2026.
Acciona Ingeniería and BlueNewables also collaborated on a project announced in 2021 to develop 2.5 MW of floating photovoltaic capacity for the Port of Málaga.
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So maybe they can use these to power their EV gigafactory instead of trying to turn our beautiful valley in the Sierra Calderona into a sea of mirrors. There’s also plenty of reservoirs such as at Navajas where floating solar installations would work