BayWa re unit completes floating PV plant in Austria – pv magazine International

February 22, 2023 Maria Maisch

ECOwind and EVN have accomplished a 24.5 MWp floating PV plant in Grafenwörth, Austria. They declare that the undertaking – mentioned to be the most important of its variety in Central Europe – was delivered in document time, with 45,304 east-west oriented photo voltaic modules put in in simply 10 weeks.

“In Grafenwörth, the problem is to push by means of the approval procedures and rules for this new PV software in Austria and to make sure a protected building – which we handle even with a degree distinction of seven meters between the rising floor and the water,“ mentioned Johann Janker, managing director of ECOwind.

The floating PV system, which measures roughly 14 hectares, is constructed over two ponds in a former sand and gravel pit. The undertaking has 158 inverters and 10 1,800 kVA floating transformers. It’s anticipated to provide 26,700 MWh of inexperienced electrical energy per 12 months – sufficient to produce electrical energy to virtually 7,500 Austrian households.

“Floating PV additionally has the advantage of the next electrical energy yield because of the cooling impact of water – which makes the applying a horny prospect for landowners in unused our bodies of water,“ mentioned Janker.

ECOwind says it is going to recurrently conduct analysis on fish populations and native dragonfly fauna to make sure the undertaking’s integration with the encompassing ecosystem.

The undertaking is claimed to be the fourth largest floating PV plant in Europe, together with three tasks within the Netherlands – all constructed by BayWa re. Together with the Grafenwörth undertaking, the group has put in a complete of 15 floating PV tasks, with greater than 230 MW of capability worldwide.

IHS Markit says that 3.4 GW of floating PV capability was put in worldwide by the top of 2021. It predicts that international floating PV demand will attain 14 GW by 2026. About 92% of these installations are prone to be inbuilt The Asia-Pacific area, pushed by favorable insurance policies and set up targets, says IHS Markit.

Floating PV is costlier than ground-mounted photo voltaic installations, however the land and O&M prices are decrease. Relying on the location and expertise, the output may be as much as 30% larger than that of a ground-mount PV plant, however additional R&D innovation is seen as key for price discount and the continued development of floating photo voltaic.