County Durham solar power specialist Power Roll has teamed up with a Norwegian company to develop zero-emission maritime energy solutions.
Power Roll is the pioneering firm behind the ultra-thin solar film which can generate and store electricity, and which can be applied to a raft of surfaces including rooftops and sides of buildings, and even off-grid applications to provide portable power.
Now the Jade Business Park based company, which recently received further investment of £2.5m in a funding round led by Maven Capital Partners, has signed an Application Development Partner Agreement with Norwegian company Inseanergy to collaborate on the use of Power Roll’s flexible solar film in aquaculture – the farming of sea food – and maritime applications.
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The partnership will combine Inseanergy’s floating photo voltaic solutions with Power Roll’s solar film to deliver new applications, improved performance and reduced costs within fish farming and other maritime applications.
Aquaculture requires substantial amounts of energy to power its systems, pneumatic feeders, and heat and light for the working areas. A typical fish farm requires between 200,000 and 450,000 kWh of electricity a year, which is usually supplied by diesel-powered generators or through a grid connection.
Fish farms around the world are seeing significantly increased demand for their products, driven by population growth and by a shift away from red meat. This means the aquaculture industry is expanding into more remote locations where grid connections may be too difficult or too expensive to install - so solar powered energy systems will provide a lower cost, more scalable, and highly sustainable solution for the energy needs of the industry.
One opportunity set to be explored is the use of solar film technology on large-area vessels, which can potentially provide substantial amounts of 100% emission-free electrical power supply.
This could also help ship operators to reduce the use of diesel-driven generators.
Don Scott, chief commercial officer of Power Roll, said: “Power Roll’s solar film is uniquely lightweight, flexible and low-cost – which are essential requirements for maritime PV solutions.
“Our solar film is also highly adaptable in its design, and this partnership will help us tailor PV products that are not only a perfect match in dimensions and voltage for marine applications, but are also proven in harsh and remote environments.
“We are excited to combine Power Roll’s solar film with Inseanergy’s marine engineering expertise to deliver greater operational flexibility, at lower cost, and with significant carbon savings – which, in fish farming, could be up to 10% CO2 equivalent per kg of salmon produced.”
Jan Erik Vaage Klepp, chief executive officer of Inseanergy, said: “We are always on the lookout for cost effective innovations that address the unique challenges of harsh, remote and highly regulated marine environments. Inseanergy was founded on deep engineering skills and decades of industry experience to solve key sustainability challenges across in the aquaculture sector.
“A prime example is our innovative floating PV system, supported on recycled fish cages, which addresses both energy and materials use in salmon farms. Beyond aquaculture, we look forward to exploring opportunities for Power Roll’s lightweight, low-cost solar film as we develop wider maritime applications.”
