BlueNewables Completes First Pre-Commercial Marine Solar Pilot In Valencia
The 1 MW floating solar project features two modular platforms designed to test performance and maintenance requirements in a real marine environment.
Spanish marine renewable energy developer BlueNewables has finished installing a 1 MW floating solar pilot project at the Port of Valencia. Supported by energy company Naturgy, the installation marks Spain’s first pre-commercial marine solar project. The site is now entering a two-year testing and monitoring phase to evaluate the technology’s operational performance and integration within port infrastructure.
The project consists of two 500 kW platforms utilizing the company’s PhotoVoltaic-BlueNewables Offshore Solutions (PV-bos) technology. These platforms, constructed at the San Enrique shipyard in Vigo, are named Paiporta and Catarroja in recognition of two Valencian municipalities impacted by the 2024 DANA storm. The modular design is intended to facilitate scalable manufacturing and deployment across various coastal sites, islands, and port areas where land availability is limited.
Throughout the two-year monitoring period, BlueNewables and Naturgy will share technical, operational, and economic data gathered from the pilot. This initiative is part of the RENMARINAS VALENCIAPORT project, which received funding from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) via the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme. The Port Authority of Valencia provided the testing area and necessary infrastructure for the installation.
The Port Authority of Valencia is also establishing a grid-connected testing platform designed to support future marine renewable energy demonstrators. BlueNewables noted that this infrastructure will remain available for subsequent projects, further supporting the development of offshore renewable energy technologies in the region.
