The Port of Valencia has received Spain's first marine solar platform, a pioneering project developed by the Spanish startup BlueNewables with the support of Naturgy .
The platform, built at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo and named Paiporta in homage to the Valencian municipality especially affected by the DANA storm of 2024, will be located outside the southern breakwater of the Port of Valencia, where the testing phase planned for this initiative will take place.
The project involves the installation of two 500 kW platforms, each with a total installed capacity of 1 MW . The first unit has already been positioned in front of the port's southern breakwater, while the second will be added towards the end of the summer.
The tests are part of the European program RENMARINAS VALENCIAPORT , funded by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU funds and supported by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). The objective is to generate technical information that will allow for the evaluation of the potential of floating solar energy at sea as a new alternative for the energy transition.
Unlike solutions installed on lakes or reservoirs, this initiative seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of operating photovoltaic systems directly in marine waters, a segment that is still in the early stages of development in Europe.
A technology designed to operate in the open sea.
The platform developed by BlueNewables incorporates a catamaran -type design, specifically engineered to withstand marine conditions. The structure allows the panels to be raised above water level, facilitating maintenance and improving its performance in wave action.
Furthermore, it uses bifacial modules , capable of harnessing both direct solar radiation and light reflected from the sea surface, increasing the energy efficiency of the installation.
Over the next two years, BlueNewables and Naturgy will share technical, operational, and economic data gathered during the testing phase. The analysis will include production indicators, structural behavior, operating costs, maintenance, and incidents, with the aim of determining the potential of this technology for future commercial developments.
The project is also part of the Port of Valencia's strategy to decarbonize its operations. In parallel, the Port Authority is developing a permanent platform to test marine renewable energy generation technologies and their connection to the electrical grid of the ports of Valencia and Sagunto.
The initiative also includes collaboration with EnerMarPort , which will install a wave energy generation system in the port of Sagunto, expanding the range of renewable technologies that can be evaluated under real conditions.