SWiM

In the context of the consequences of the corona crisis and the energy crisis, Belgium has submitted a National Recovery and Resilience Plan to the European Union. The REPowerEU chapter of this plan includes investments in research and development to promote the technical, economic and financial feasibility of floating solar panels in the North Sea. The ultimate goal is to arrive at a demonstration model of floating solar panels with a capacity of 1 to 5 MW.

In this context, the SWiM project (Solar and Wind Energy in the Belgian Marine Zone) will investigate the combination of different marine technologies in the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone. Particular attention will be paid to the integration of floating solar panels in offshore wind farms.

The partners in the SWiM project will model the performance of floating solar panels using various environmental variables and estimate the maximum electricity production based on the connections with the coast. In addition, they will develop criteria for anchoring, define rules for positioning and evaluate potential environmental effects.

More specifically, the consortium wants to investigate the preconditions for safe and effective use of floating solar panels in offshore areas that are used for multiple purposes. Special attention will be paid to wind farms in the Belgian marine zone.

Since the partners cannot assess the safety aspects and coordination between stakeholders themselves, these stakeholders will be involved in workshops and invited to provide input. Furthermore, workshops will be held to disseminate and discuss the results, and the partners will formulate policy advice.