Floating Offshore Solar Platform for Ports and Offshore Environments

Project leaders

The project is led by the Spanish startup BlueNewables, with the support of Naturgy and the Port Authority of Valencia (APV). It forms part of the European RENMARINAS VALENCIAPORT project, coordinated by the APV and co-funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

Project description

This innovative project has developed Spain’s first floating solar platform for open-sea conditions, named Paiporta, built at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo. The platform will be installed outside the southern breakwater of the Port of Valencia to begin its testing phase. This first pre-commercial installation consists of two 500 kW units, with a total planned capacity of 1 MW. The first unit has already been installed, while the second is scheduled for installation at the end of the summer to complete the system.

The platform incorporates several notable technological innovations. Its catamaran-type design, optimized for demanding marine environments, enables the use of more efficient floaters and positions the solar panels higher above sea level, improving energy performance while facilitating maintenance. The bifacial solar panels maximize electricity generation by capturing both direct sunlight and the light reflected from the sea surface. These features make it Spain’s first pre-commercial floating solar plant designed for offshore applications, with significant potential for hybridization with other marine renewable technologies, such as offshore wind energy.

During the testing phase, the project partners will share technical, operational, and strategic information on performance, incidents, and costs, creating a knowledge base that will help optimize future installations and accelerate commercial deployment. In addition, the platform will be connected to the electrical grids of the ports of Valencia and Sagunto, creating a permanent testing environment for marine renewable energy technology providers. This infrastructure will enable new technologies to be tested safely and under replicable conditions, turning the port into a living laboratory for energy innovation.

The project reinforces the vision of ports as hubs for applied innovation supporting the energy transition, advancing towards infrastructure that is more self-sufficient, competitive, and carbon neutral. The platform’s innovations could be directly applied to clean energy generation in offshore areas, stand-alone energy projects on islands, and the decarbonization of the port and maritime sectors.

Project objectives

The main objective is to validate Spain’s first open-sea floating solar platform capable of generating electricity efficiently and safely, helping to advance the development of new renewable energy solutions for ports.

At the same time, the project seeks to generate transferable knowledge, optimize the deployment of new technologies, and strengthen collaboration between startups, companies, and public administrations within the blue economy ecosystem.