German renewable energy developer Baywa r.e. has begun constructing what will be the largest floating solar farm outside of China.
The 27-megawatt Bomhofsplas solar farm is set to include 73,000 solar panels on a sandpit lake in Zwolle in the Netherlands, the company said in a statement. For places like Northern Europe where land is in tight supply, floating technology could open up new areas for renewable energy development.
Baywa has installed close to a third of the solar farm in two weeks, its fastest deployment time yet for such a project. The company said floating installations are easier to install than similar projects on land and could produce more power thanks to a cooling effect from the water.
“Our ability to deliver floating solar farms in such a short space of time is an exciting new opportunity for Europe and its bid to be carbon free by 2050,” said Benedikt Ortmann, global director of polar Projects at Baywa.
