Ocean Sun to build 2MW floating solar project for Statkraft in Albania

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Ocean Sun has been hired by utility giant Statkraft to build a 2MW floating solar installation at the Banja reservoir, in central Albania.

Pending final regulatory approval, the deal sealed between the Norwegian duo should see four 0.5MW PV units delivered between this year and next, at total costs of €2.3 million.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The installations represent the first major commercial contract for Ocean Sun, a floating PV specialist founded in 2016 and backed since by grant money from Innovation Norway and others.

The firm believes its design of choice – sea-anchored, thin-polymer membranes that can be towed around to adapt to the water environment – acts as a buffer against strong winds and other sources of mechanical stress. Contact with water helps cool off solar cells and boost performance compared to ground-mounted units, Ocean Sun said.   

The floating park, supported under Albania’s feed-in-tariff programme, will sit at the reservoir that has hosted Statkraft’s 73MW hydropower plant since 2016.

According to Statkraft CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, the floating PV technology may be rolled out across further locations if “it is proven successful” and achieves its “potential for cost-competitiveness.”

For the Norwegian utility, the news on Albania emerges amid a broader drive to take its PV portfolio past the 2GW mark by 2025. The goal, to be mostly delivered through European projects, has seen the firm sign PPAs with Iberian projects including BayWa r.e.’s.

Ocean Sun's CFO Bard Johansen and Statkraft's SVP for Solar are confirmed speakers at PV Tech's Large Scale Solar Summit, taking place in Lisbon on 26-27 March. See here for more information and tickets. 

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

October 2, 2025
Spanish waste management company Trabede and energy firm Greening Group will build a solar module recycling plant in Granada, Andalusia, Spain.
October 2, 2025
The European solar sector will lose around 5% of its jobs in 2025, the first contraction in employment for the sector in nearly a decade.
October 2, 2025
PV products using perovskite technology could assume a dominant position within the next ten years, according to module producer Qcells' CTO.
October 1, 2025
The insurance industry must adapt to evolving risks to head off a 'protection gap' that could undermine the global green energy transition.
October 1, 2025
Italy has released the results of its latest solar auction, which includes 273 expressions of interest for a combined capacity of 3,161MW.
October 1, 2025
Fortis Energy has secured a construction permit for a 270MW PV plant combined with a 72MWh battery energy storage system in Serbia.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland