Fred. Olsen 1848 Deployed Floating Photovoltaic Pilot Projects in Norway

Norwegian green energy provider Fred. Olsen 1848 has successfully deployed a 124-kilowatt offshore floating PV pilot project.

The 50 x 50 meter floating array is located in Rieser, Norway, and will be officially operational in the spring.

The pilot project will serve as a testing ground for Fred. Olsen 1848 to perfect its floating solar energy solution, Brizo.

Brizo technology is designed to move with ocean currents and resist the Marine environment. It uses floating solar modules, each of which can be moved individually in a pre-tensioned rope net.

According to Fred. Olsen 1848, this design not only makes efficient use of solar energy, but also uniquely addresses the challenges posed by wave and wind loads.

The company added that Brizo will now transition to the next phase, focusing on basic design work in order to custom develop the first 3 MW unit project for commercial applications.

"The process of installing BRIZO in Rieser, Norway, is proceeding smoothly and on schedule," said Geir Grimsrud, Chief Technical Officer of Fred. Olsen 1848.

Data from the Norwegian authorities indicate that the country deployed 300 MW of solar power in 2023, bringing its cumulative PV installed capacity to 597 MW.

In December, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (SolarPower Europe) published a report saying that the global floating solar power potential is 3 TW to 7 TW. Analysts at the International Energy Agency's Photovoltaic Power Systems Project (IA-PVPS) estimate that cumulative PV capacity will reach 60 GW by 2030.