Astillero San Enrique partners up with BlueNewables to build a pioneering floating solar platform

This pilot project, with a €4 million budget, will be installed at the Port of Valencia in 2026 and will generate 1,500 MWh per year.

Astillero San Enrique, part of Grupo Marina Meridional, will build a prototype of a 1 MW PV-BOS floating solar platform at its facilities in Vigo, which will later be installed at the Port of Valencia. The project, commissioned by BlueNewables, aims to develop a technology that enhances renewable energy production through the design, development, construction, and implementation of an offshore floating photovoltaic platform, specifically adapted for "a virtually unexplored field such as the open sea," according to the company. The total investment in this R&D project exceeds €4 million and will create 60 new jobs.

The 1 MW PV-BOS platform will consist of a floating structure that will support a deck on which solar panels will be installed. Additionally, a technical room will house the inverters and transformers, enabling testing of the prototype’s performance and allowing the generated energy to be fed into the Port of Valencia’s grid. This port is one of Europe's leaders in sustainability, with 20% of its electricity consumption coming from renewable sources.

The platform, set to be installed in 2026, is expected to generate approximately 1,500 MWh per year—equivalent to the consumption of 500 households—resulting in a CO₂ emissions reduction of up to 620 tons per year.

Astillero San Enrique highlights the “business opportunity” and “potential for diversification” that this project represents for the Galician shipbuilding sector, given BlueNewables’ plans for the global deployment of this technology.

(Source: Industrias Pesqueras)