A Taipei-based renewable energy company has commissioned the world’s largest offshore floating solar power plant.

Hexa Renewables has installed a 373 MWac (megawatt of alternating current) solar panel project in Changhua County on the west coast of Taiwan.

The project builds on an earlier installation commissioned in 2020. The upgraded capacity will now provide energy to approximately 74,000 homes in Taiwan.

“We are delighted to announce that HEXA Renewables, backed by global infrastructure fund I Squared Capital, has partnered with the Taiwanese government and completed the commissioning of the world’s largest offshore floating solar power plant,” he said. the company said in an article on X.

In March, the Dutch company SolarDuck revealed an €8.4 million project to build a 5MW floating offshore solar power plant within the OranjeWind wind farm off the country’s coast, featuring modular and innovative technology.

Floating Solar Milestone

The first stage of the project, completed in 2020, included two plots with a total capacity of 181 MWac, developed by Chenya Energy, then part of HEXA’s investor I Squared Capital.

Following the disinvestment of Chenya Energy later that year, Hexa continued the second stage of the project in partnership with the Taiwanese government, adding 192 MWac of power generation.

According to the company, the pioneering project covers four plots spread over 347 hectares, illustrating the future of renewable energy innovation. Together, these milestones brought the project to a total capacity of 373 MWac, making it the largest project in the world. off floating solar facility.

In addition to its remarkable scope, the floating solar project significantly advances Taiwan’s decarbonization goals, which include achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and 20 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2025.

Around 74,000 Taiwanese households will receive renewable energy through this project, which offsets 136,000 CO2 emissions per year.

“Built on expertise, innovation and a commitment to sustainable development, the project benefits the Taiwanese community by strengthening sustainable energy security while supporting global efforts to combat climate change,” said the company in a press release. job on X.

Solar surge at sea

The installation of solar and wind energy solutions is accelerating as countries seek to phase out fossil fuels. The lower energy costs of these technologies are encouraging, but their slower energy conversion rates are a drawback.

Large areas of land are needed for solar and wind plants to produce enough energy to make the transition. The planet’s limited mass is already used for a variety of things, including habitation, agriculture, and the creation of industries.

Having achieved this, wind farms have already been moved to offshore platforms, allowing them to install larger turbines and harness faster winds to produce more clean energy. Moving solar projects overseas is also long overdue.

In contrast, 71% of the planet’s surface is covered in water, providing an opportunity to build an energy harvesting device using abundant sunlight. Companies want to install offshore solar farms in areas they call the Sun Belt.

These regions, like the Caribbean, Japan, South Korea and even Oman, are rich in sun but lacking in wind. With limited land area, extensive energy infrastructure becomes too expensive in these areas. Yet the nearby waters are ideal for offshore solar power.