Floating breakwater to shield offshore solar farms, store energy being developed by University of Malta

A floating breakwater used in deep waters to shelter floating solar energy platforms from large waves is being developed by researchers at the University of Malta.

Researchers said the novel design of the wave breaker will avoid the need for bulky floating structures to support large-scale floating solar panels in the open sea.

“The proposed technology could drive down investment risks faced by renewable energy developers,” they said.

The research project titled Fortress is spearheaded by the University of Malta’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute for Sustainable Energy.

Research is being carried out by Charise Cutajar, Andrew Borg, Tonio Sant, Robert N. Farrugia, Daniel Buhagiar and Kurt Spiteri, and is financed by the Energy and Water Agency.

The floating breakwater design is modular, with each module scaled down to be able to be manufactured in Maltese docks.

“The project would therefore also benefit the Maltese construction and maritime industries by providing opportunities to diversify and expand activities into the offshore renewable energy sector,” the researchers said.

Apart from being designed to mitigate harsh wave action, the breakwater is being designed to integrate a battery system to store energy generated by offshore renewables. Described as ‘long duration energy storage technology’, the system aims to convert intermittent power generated by nearby floating solar and wind farms into a stable supply of power.

Researchers are considering the use of hydro-pneumatic energy storage technology tailored for offshore use. The storage technology is currently being developed in collaboration with the startup company FLASC B.V.

The storage solution coupled with the floating breakwater will be able to provide charging facilities for electrically-powered sea faring vessels.

“Extensive computer simulations and lab experiments on floating breakwater scaled models have so far been encouraging, demonstrating the effectiveness of the modular structure in calming rough waves and in supporting a substantial energy storage capacity to provide a secure supply of renewable energy,” the researchers said.

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