CdM | Naturgy (NTGY) announced on Tuesday that it has promoted, through its innovation platform Innovahub, a pioneering project in Spain for the development of floating photovoltaic technology in the open sea. It has done so in collaboration with Spanish start-up BlueNewables, with the aim of ‘exploring new renewable solutions that enable progress in the decarbonisation of the energy system’.
As Naturgy explained in a statement, the project involves the design, manufacture, commissioning and monitoring of two 500 kW units, optimised to operate in ocean environments. ‘The technology used is based on an innovative catamaran-type design, which allows for the use of more economical floats and places the solar panels further away from the direct impact of the waves, improving their maintenance and performance,’ says the company.
Naturgy and BlueNewables will work together to exchange technical, operational, strategic and economic information derived from the development of the pilot project, both during its manufacture and in the testing phase, it also explained.
In fact, it highlights that this collaboration ‘will last for two years from the start-up of the system, including performance data, technical incidents, operating reports, costs, lessons learned and technology deployment strategies.’
The system is currently under construction at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo and is scheduled to be launched in March 2026, when a real-world testing phase will begin in the Port of Valencia.
