Sunseap installs offshore floating solar farms in Johor Straits

It is expected to produce around 6,022,500 kWh energy yearly.

Solar energy provider Sunseap Group has completed the installation of one of the world’s largest offshore floating solar farms in Johor Straits.

The installation involved a total of over 13,000 panels, 40 inverters, and more than 30,000 floats. It is expected to produce an estimated 6,022,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy per year, potentially offsetting 4,258 tons of carbon dioxide, which would bring Singapore closer to decarbonisation.

Sunseap said the floating solar farms took close to a year to set up due to the movement restrictions amidst COVID-19.

“This is an important milestone for Sunseap as we believe that offshore space like the sea, reservoirs, lakes, and others, offers exciting opportunities for land-scarce and densely populated cities to tap solar energy. They are places that are unobscured from the sun and with low risks of vandalism or theft,” Sunseap CEO Frank Phuan said.

The unpredictable nature of open sea, the need to avoid shipping routes, and the presence of barnacles were also amongst the challenges that the company faced in building the solar farms. Marine expertise was also required for mooring installation and system design.