Oceans of Energy to build first commercial offshore solar project in North Sea

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The image shows Oceans of Energy's 0.5MW offshore solar project in the North Sea.
One of Oceans of Energy’s smaller test projects in the North Sea. Image: Oceans of Energy.

The contract for what is claimed to be the “world’s first grid-connected offshore solar-wind hybrid project” has been awarded to offshore specialist Oceans of Energy for a site in the North Sea situated off the coast of the Netherlands.

0.5MW of floating solar modules will be installed between the turbines of CrossWind’s 759MW Hollandse Kust Noord wind park. CrossWind is a joint venture between oil major Shell and Dutch energy provider Eneco.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The wind project will be complete by the end of 2023, with the solar farm due to be in place in 2025.

This will be Oceans of Energy’s first commercial project. Allard van Hoeken, founder and CEO of Oceans of Energy said: “We are very pleased that Crosswind and their shareholders Shell and Eneco have trust in Oceans of Energy for realizing this first off amazing project.”

In a recent feature, PV Tech Premium explored the routes that floating PV could take to move beyond pilot projects. Co-location with other renewable energy sources like wind and hydropower offers a strong route to market for offshore technologies as diversified energy sources can boost the overall yield of a project.

The Hollandse Kust Noord project will co-locate wind, solar, storage and round-trip green hydrogen generated from the wind turbines. CrossWind said this was a “world first” combination.

Floating solar also addresses land availability concerns in countries where suitable land is scarce. Southeast Asia has long been a hotbed for floating solar projects, with European countries like the Netherlands and Austria also pursuing the technology.

A Chinese state-backed energy firm is currently engaged in building the “world’s largest” inland floating project, a 1GW facility on the reservoir atop the Kariba Dam in Zimbabwe.  

Last month a subsidiary of French utility Engie – Tractebel – revealed a new offshore floating technology designed to withstand harsh marine conditions. The tech proposes to raise panels above the ocean surface on substantial metal structures in easily-deployable modular formation.

Read Next

July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.
June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Renewables investment platform Nexwell Power has signed a round of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with “one of the largest” US tech companies for solar PV capacity to be built in Spain.
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.
June 26, 2025
Nextracker will supply solar tracker systems to a 550MW solar PV project in the Greek province of Western Macedonia, owned by Greek renewables developer PPC Renewables.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece