Partnering for Global Floating Solar Projects
Following the success of Nova’s first floating solar project at the Port of Leith in Edinburgh, UK, Nova Innovation and RSK have launched AquaGen365. This new joint venture will deliver global floating solar PV services, focused on designing, building, and installing floating solar power stations. The Port of Leith project is already supplying renewable energy to Forth Ports’ headquarters.
Floating solar power
The marine solar demonstrator successfully generated electricity during Storm Babet in October, enduring torrential rain and 70mph winds. It continued to produce power through 11 additional named storms over the winter, proving the technology’s durability under harsh conditions.
The Port of Leith project exemplifies the potential of floating solar in near-shore sea areas. This technology can also be deployed in sheltered inland waters and reservoirs, as well as in more challenging offshore locations where it can be co-located with offshore wind farms without taking up valuable land space.
9,343TWh Floating Solar Capacity
AquaGen365 aims to scale up floating solar power, harnessing the potential of water, which covers two-thirds of the planet. A recent study found that floating solar could generate 9,343 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity—enough to meet Europe’s entire electricity demand three times over.
This venture brings together RSK’s extensive global network of over 200 environmental, engineering, and technical service firms in 40 countries with Nova Innovation’s leading marine energy expertise. Their combined experience of over 20 years spans renewable energy projects involving tidal streams, onshore wind, ground-mounted solar PV, and hydropower technologies.
“Floating solar generates clean, predictable, and low-cost electricity using dependable and bankable technology, providing an alternative to ground-mounted and rooftop solar. It provides a convincing case for cost-effective and decarbonised energy generation in situations where land use is not an option,” said RSK director David Taylor.
Applications Across Key Sectors
“Floating solar will benefit many sectors, including enabling sustainable irrigation in agriculture, helping the water industry meet its carbon net zero targets, providing renewable energy for industrial sites and complexes, and driving the push for ‘greener’ ports and harbours,” he added.
“Floating solar represents a significant advancement in the quest for clean renewable energy. Its key advantage is that it can be built rapidly and on a large scale, especially in locations where land is rare or expensive,” explained Nova Innovation CEO Simon Forrest.
“With the goal set at COP28 to treble global renewable energy capacity by 2030, floating solar is a low-cost, accessible technology with the potential to significantly reduce climate change. RSK and Nova’s complementary skills work perfectly together to help reach these global ambitions.”
Nova’s floating solar technology has proven its reliability under demanding conditions, including the harsh Scottish winter. Building on this technology, AquaGen365 aims to revolutionize the floating solar industry and set new standards for innovation and sustainability.