Paiporta: The Largest Offshore Solar Platform, Built at Astilleros San Enrique, Sets Sail for Valencia
This is a project led by BlueNewables, pioneering in Spain as the country's first pre-commercial-scale floating solar power installation, with a total capacity of one megawatt. The initiative places Vigo (Galicia) at the forefront of offshore technologies linked to the energy transition and maritime innovation.
Paiporta, the first PV-bos offshore floating solar technology platform, designed and developed by BlueNewables in collaboration with Naturgy and built at Astilleros San Enrique, is now sailing to Valencia. The platform, named in tribute to the victims of the devastating floods (DANA) that severely affected the Valencian Community in 2024, and in particular the municipality of Paiporta, considered one of the hardest-hit areas, departed from the facilities of the Vigo shipyard, part of the Marina Meridional Group, bound for the Port of Valencia. There, it will be moored and connected to begin its testing phase, continuing the operational validation of the technology in open-sea conditions.
The voyage is expected to be completed in just under two weeks and follows the platform's launch, which took place on 18 May after a complex tandem lifting operation carried out using Astilleros San Enrique's cranes, enabling the platform to be safely launched into the water.
José Luis Torres, Director of Astilleros San Enrique, highlighted that "Paiporta represents a milestone of enormous significance both for our shipyard and for the maritime and energy industries as a whole. We are especially proud to have contributed to the development and construction of a technological solution that is set to transform the use of solar energy in marine environments, making a decisive contribution to the advancement of renewable energy on a global scale."
The technological solution developed through this platform features an innovative catamaran-type design, optimised for ocean conditions, allowing the use of more efficient floaters and positioning the solar panels higher above sea level, thereby improving both performance and maintenance. In addition, the installed panels use bifacial technology, enabling power generation from both direct solar radiation and light reflected off the sea surface, increasing the overall efficiency of the system. This feature further strengthens the project's innovative nature and reinforces its position as one of the most significant initiatives in the field of floating renewable energy.
Meanwhile, construction of the second platform is already underway at Astilleros San Enrique, with delivery scheduled for after the summer.
Next-generation technology for floating renewable energy
The BlueNewables project, developed by the Spanish company with its long-standing industrial and shipbuilding heritage in collaboration with Naturgy, marks a milestone for Spain's energy sector, as it is the country's first pre-commercial-scale offshore floating solar installation, with a total capacity of one megawatt.
The PV-bos technology developed by BlueNewables has been designed to enable the deployment of floating solar plants in offshore and port environments, providing an innovative solution to accelerate the energy transition while complementing the development of floating offshore wind, sustainable electric mobility and other sectors with which it can be readily integrated. One of the project's main objectives is to advance the industrialisation of this type of floating energy solution through construction processes inspired by serial manufacturing models. To this end, it promotes the development of a more automated value chain in which shipyards and ports play a key role in the efficient production of these systems, helping to enhance the future competitiveness of floating photovoltaic energy. This approach will reduce costs, optimise production times and strengthen the long-term competitiveness of offshore floating solar energy.
The project has received institutional support from several organisations, including IDAE through the RENMARINAS programme, as well as the close collaboration of SOERMAR through the Renovar project, which is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism.