Offshore solar is a unique alternative clean energy source. For island nations and densely populated coastal areas, floating solar at sea might be the only opportunity to achieve their [100%] renewable energy goals. Such areas face land challenges, ranging from scarcely available land to competition with main economic sectors (tourism), and from high renting costs to inappropriate terrains requiring expensive land preparations.

Many Asian countries rely heavily on the ocean as a principal source of income, mainly from fishing and tourism. While clean mobility has the spotlight on land, little has been done to render marine transportation cleaner and more cost-effective for low-income fishermen or small business owners. Millions of small boats roam the Asian seas most often propelled by outdated engines with high fuel consumption and environmental impact. This presentation explores pragmatic and efficient eco-alternatives to polluting boats, leveraging on the ever more efficient renewable energy technologies.

The San Bernardino Ocean Power Project is a transformative initiative carried out by H&WB (Filipino project developer) and SABELLA (French technology developer) to develop the Philippines’ and the ASEAN’s first commercial power plant deploying tidal in-stream turbines. The first phase sees a 3MW pilot farm, off Capul Island in San Bernardino Strait, by 2021, featuring SABELLA’s field-proven tidal turbine and onshore storage batteries.