Scottish ocean energy expert Mocean Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with Netherlands-headquartered floating solar developer SolarDuck.
The strategic collaboration aims to deliver hybrid power systems that combine SolarDuck’s floating solar platforms with Mocean Energy’s wave energy technology.
Together, the companies (which have both individually received investment from Norwegian clean-tech fund manager Katapult Ocean) will target applications for remote offshore sites in a variety of sectors, such as energy, defense and others.
A combination of ocean energy and floating solar technologies will be used to deliver a high-level joint concept that provides clean, reliable energy for power, communications and auxiliary systems to support remote offshore assets.
“This MoU marks the next step in a promising business and technical collaboration between Mocean Energy and SolarDuck, focused on delivering integrated ocean energy solutions, combining wave and solar technologies for offshore applications,” said Cameron McNatt, managing director at Mocean Energy. “Particular focus is being given to providing power and communications to remote sites in challenging environments.
“Over the past few months, we’ve been sharing commercial insights and have identified a strong opportunity to conduct an internally funded technical feasibility study focused on offshore energy needs in Asia-Pacific.
“Both Mocean Energy and SolarDuck are backed by Katapult Ocean, a leading Norwegian investor in clean and ocean-tech, which underscores the strategic alignment of our vision. At a broader level, this partnership reflects a growing movement toward leveraging offshore renewables to address power challenges and accelerate decarbonization across the blue economy.”
Mocean Energy has previously showcased the viability of its wave and solar-powered technology through the successful deployment of its Blue X wave energy converter prototype. As part of the Renewables for Subsea Power program, this prototype, which can be integrated with battery storage systems, has demonstrated its ability to provide consistent and reliable renewable power in offshore environments.
Building on the success of Blue X, Mocean Energy is now preparing to deploy its first commercial product, Blue Star – a wave energy device designed for long-term operation and scalability across a range of offshore applications.
During the term of the MOU, Mocean Energy and SolarDuck will also collaborate on a commercial and technical basis to identify engineering studies and commercial opportunities. As part of this, the pair will share insights into each’s respective technology and requirements to more effectively approach market opportunities.
“This partnership aligns with SolarDuck and Mocean Energy’s shared vision to enable clean energy solutions in challenging offshore environments,” said Arnaud Ayral, chief commercial officer of SolarDuck. “By combining complementary technologies, we aim to unlock new capabilities and value for customers in the offshore sector. Working with Mocean Energy, we can bring robust, scalable and sustainable power to remote offshore locations, revolutionizing the way in which the industry operates.”
“We see immense value in our portfolio companies collaborating to unlock greater technical and commercial potential,” added Anthony Bellafiore, investment manager, Katapult Ocean. “Mocean Energy and SolarDuck are taking an ambitious step to show what’s possible when pioneering offshore technologies work together to address global infrastructure needs.
“While scaling renewable offshore energy continues to have its challenges, we continue to back it because of its outsized ability to generate systemic impact and shift our blue economy from an extractive industry to a more sustainable one. With all this in mind, we are very excited to see what Mocean and SolarDuck can achieve together.”
In related news, Kongsberg Maritime and Noble Corporation have announced the signing of a development program framework agreement for co-development of advanced marine technologies for the offshore drilling sector. Read the full story
