Firms join forces to combine wave and solar energy

Netherlands-based SolarDuck has developed floating solar platforms that will be combined with Scotland-based Mocean Energy’s wave energy technology.

Both firms have each won funding from the clean-tech fund manager Katapult Ocean, in Norway, and will target applications for remote offshore sites in a variety of sectors, including energy, defence and ‘the wider Blue Economy’. The energy will be used for power, communications and auxiliary systems, the firms say.

“At a broader level, this partnership reflects a growing movement toward leveraging offshore renewables to address power challenges and accelerate decarbonisation across the Blue Economy,” said Mocean Energy managing director Cameron McNatt. “Over the past few months, we’ve been sharing commercial insights and have identified a strong opportunity to conduct an internally funded technical feasibility study focused on offshore energy needs in Asia Pacific.”

Mocean’s Blue X wave energy converter prototype has already been deployed as part of the Renewables for Subsea Power programme, when it was integrated with battery storage systems.

In September 2023, Mocean was one of three projects selected to complete designs and fabricate prototypes for a one-year demonstration to assess the feasibility of generating electricity from wave power.

’Blue Horizon 250’ was a 250kW scale project that also focused on islands and remote communities as well as early grid projects and off-grid applications.

In September 2024, SolarDuck announced securing an extra €15 million to develop and deploy its offshore floating solar power technology, which it said would be setting it on a path to deliver its first commercial projects.

“By combining complementary technologies, we aim to unlock new capabilities and value for customers in the offshore sector,” said Arnaud Ayral, chief commercial officer, SolarDuck. “Working with Mocean Energy, we can bring robust, scalable and sustainable power to remote offshore locations, revolutionising the way in which the industry operates.”