Tester 5. Floating solar without plastics for marine waters, TRL7 Marine floating photovoltaic 8 m2 in TRL7 of floating solar in the Atlantic Sea
wb_sunny

 Long configuration in Galicia 540 m2 floating modules TWO MODULES CONNECTED IN LONG CONFIGURATION view_weekview_week

40 x 13,5m

 Modules connected in square configuration Redesign modules for open waters TWO modules connected in square configuration view_weekview_week
20 x 13,5m Map of OpenMode tester locations 3 EU-basins MEDITERRANEAN BASIN
NORTH SEA BASIN
ATLANTIC BASIN

Demonstration of intensive
shellfish farming in OPEN waters
with resilient and affordable MODulEs

The growth of the shellfish sector in EU is nearly stagnant due to the increasing global competition and the saturation of the areas protected from swell where intensive farming is viable. OpenMode is launched by two companies to go beyond the resilient platforms tested in previous works, proposing floating connectable modules for intensive farming in open waters. Its main objective is to prove their capacity to bridge the sector gaps farming on four full-scale demonstrators in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and North Sea Basins. The fifth demonstrator aims to prove the capacity to transfer this affordable technology to other blue growth sectors.

The platform redesign towards portable and versatile modules will consider their interaction with the swell and the response of different connection systems. The integration of remote sensors to control water, weather and structural parameters will assure the surveillance, reduce operating costs and explain through big data analysis which factors affect the harvest growth rates.

Eight 140 m2 modules will be produced and floated in Spain, Denmark, Croatia and Montenegro, where local farmers will share them harvesting molluscs or macroalgae. They will learn through trainings how to use it to avoid predation, achieve more phytoplankton or scale-up compensation measures, sharing their user experience with the designers and other farmers. This will allow completing the market study and Life Cycle Assessment. Colloquiums and events will raise awareness of this sustainable farming and promote synergies with other EU programs. The project success will activate intense farming in high-potential unexploited areas, and become an efficient tool to combat eutrophication in North and Baltic sea. Sharing the modules during the project can grow into a cooperative business model for the farmers with fewer resources. Finally, the versatility and cost reduction reached will let it to be adapted for other blue growth sectors.

NEWS

Events

Floating Solar PV Forum

Esteban Camacho, coordinator of the project OpenMode and innovation manager at RDC conducted a presentation on: Concrete-based Floating Solutions with Integrated Photovoltaics.His contribution was centered on tester number 5 of the OpenMode project, a durable and sustainable floating solution for near-shore and off-shore solar power generation. The online Floating Solar PV Forum, held by Leadvent…

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PROJECT PROGRESS

Last update: 11th May, 2021

MILESTONES

MS9

First order confirmed

KPIs

The average completion of indicators at the end of Month 19 is 83%.

Values higher than those initially proposed are shown in green.

Technical and technological specific objectives

In1: Test modular floating platforms (TRL8) with a 33% higher load carrying capacity than the current state of the technology and maintaining the production costs per m2. KPI1=100 kg/m2 182%
In2: Integrate in a module a continuous remote measurement system to control 14 parameters KPI2=14. Now the parameters measured remotely are 41 370%
In3: Float in open waters 8 modular platforms (140 m2 each) to demonstrate the capacities of the new designs during at least 12 months and in five different locations in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and North Sea Basins. KPI3=8 modules floated. Now we have floated 7 modules (the conectable module is formed by two 20 x 13.5 m, equivalent to four 12 x 12 m modules) 88%
In4: Assemble and use successfully on the water 4 aligned modules, forming a 48-m length side. KPI4=48 m. The maximum length of a side in floating platforms reached by the project is 40 m. 62%
In5: Reach a design of a 12 x 12 m modular floating platform that reduces a 27% the sum of the transportation and assembling costs, which sum approximately 44 €/m2 for the current platforms (20 x 27 m) for the average transportation distance (950 km). KPI5=32 €/m2 (-27%). 81%
In6: 1 patent/utility model for the design of the connections. KPI6=1 patent. 200%
In7: 140 m2 of demonstrator of a floating photovoltaic structure in open waters. KPI7=140 m2. 6%

Social, communication and cooperation specific objectives:

In8: Besides the jobs created in the beneficiary companies to implement the project, it is expected that the demonstrators create 10 fulltime equivalent jobs (2 per aquaculture demonstrator). As their lifespan is longer than the project period, they will continue working their business on them after the project. KPI8=10 FTE. 20%
In9: 15 actions/SMEs involved in the project. Until the starting of the project, OpenMode has cooperated or established relations with 30 different stakeholders of which 16 can be considered relevant. KPI9=15 actions/SMEs 200%
In10: Number of students made aware in the three speeches/colloquiums. KPI10=300 students. 39%
In11: Number of visits to the project website. KPI11=5000 visits. 22%
In12: Number of farmers or potential farmers completing the training (at the demonstrator and through the webinar course). KPI12=425 farmers. 0%
In13: Number of farmers using the demonstrators at the end of the project (small business or for recreation). KPI13=23 farmers. 26%
In14: Sum of the number individuals attending to the three events (Denmark, Croatia, Spain). KPI14=150 individuals. 177%
In15: Total number of completed surveys (physical or through the website). KPI15=500 surveys completed. 5%

Economic and exploitation specific objectives:

In16: Private finance mobilised in euros. KPI16=315.000 €. 48%
In17: Number of potential customers in the target markets covered with the project. KPI17=690 customers. 3.3%
In18: Purchase commitments at the end of the project. KPI18=1400 m2. 0%
In19: Expected revenues from selling modules. KPI19=105.000 €. 56.19%