Solar solution could provide power to offshore vessels, subsea assets

The funds from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) will enable them to continue work on the design of SolarDuck’s ‘offshore floating power and utility hub’ (OFPH), a single-platform offshore solar solution developed to provide reliable power, communications and other utilities to remote offshore and subsea assets.

“As offshore energy activity moves further from shore, the need for reliable in-field power is becoming increasingly important,” said the project partners. “Subsea oil and gas infrastructure, carbon capture and storage (CCS), offshore monitoring systems and other remote assets often depend on subsea cables, umbilicals or local generation using diesel generators. These solutions can be costly, complex to install, vulnerable to damage and carbon intensive.” SolarDuck’s OFPH is designed to offer an alternative, a redeployable offshore platform that generates renewable power where it is needed.

In addition, the OFPH supports continuous operations through integrated energy storage and auxiliary systems. This has the potential to reduce the lifecycle costs of CCS and subsea tie-back projects and consequently unlock investment opportunities.

Steady Seas builds on the operational experience and data gathered through SolarDuck’s DEI+ Merganser project in the North Sea. In the new programme, SolarDuck will lead the overall design and system integration. MARIN will contribute hydrodynamic analysis, simulations and basin testing to validate the platform’s behaviour, reliability and wave response under realistic offshore conditions. The results will support the next step toward demonstration projects with offshore industry partners.

The Steady Seas project combines applied research and technology development to address technical questions facing the OFPH., including hydrodynamic performance, mooring and motion behaviour, integration of power and communication systems and the interface with subsea infrastructure.

The programme will translate lessons from earlier pilot projects into a robust basic design for a sector-specific platform that can support offshore oil and gas, carbon capture and storage and other remote offshore applications.

In March 2026, SolarDuck unveiled an advisory board appointed to accelerate the integration of its solutions in the CCS and offshore energy sectors. The board, composed initially of two industry experts, will provide guidance and technical insights to help guide the adaptation of SolarDuck’s technology.

The board includes Neil Kavanagh, formerly chief scientist at Woodside Energy, and Tore Moe, vice president geomarkets and senior energy advisor Australia at Norwegian Energy Partners.