Nautical SUNRISE: RWE's Offshore Solar Integration Project

• RWE's Nautical SUNRISE project aims to revolutionize offshore floating solar systems, supported by Horizon Europe funding. SolarDuck leads the charge in pushing environmental boundaries.

RWE has unveiled plans for the Nautical SUNRISE project, a 5MW offshore floating solar system that will be integrated into the company's 800MW OranjeWind wind farm in the Netherlands. The €8.4m project, supported by €6.8m from the Horizon Europe programme, aims to research and develop offshore floating solar (OFS) systems and components.

The Nautical SUNRISE consortium will conduct extensive research and testing to ensure the reliability, survivability, electrical stability, and yield of offshore floating solar systems. The project will also assess the environmental impact and sustainability of OFS, including the environmental footprint, circularity, and full life cycle sustainability of the technology.

SolarDuck, a Dutch company supplying the solar panels for the project, sees the subsidy as an opportunity to push the environmental boundaries of the design and gain a deeper understanding of the ecological and reliability aspects of offshore floating solar systems. The outcomes of the project are expected to pave the way for large-scale deployment and commercialization of OFS systems, both as standalone arrays and integrated into offshore wind farms.

What are the goals of RWE's Nautical SUNRISE project in the Netherlands?

• Research and develop offshore floating solar (OFS) systems and components
• Ensure reliability, survivability, electrical stability, and yield of offshore floating solar systems
• Assess environmental impact and sustainability of OFS, including environmental footprint, circularity, and full life cycle sustainability
• Push environmental boundaries of design and gain deeper understanding of ecological and reliability aspects of offshore floating solar systems
• Pave the way for large-scale deployment and commercialization of OFS systems, both as standalone arrays and integrated into offshore wind farms