Floating Solar Poised to Play ‘Critical Role’ in Land-Lacking Southeast Asia

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With a lack of suitable sites for onshore solar farms intensifying the need for innovative solutions, floating solar is expected to play a key role in Southeast Asia’s solar expansion, according to Rystad Energy research, reports Offshore Energy.

Installation

Solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity additions are poised to be a central pillar of Southeast Asia’s energy future, with floating installations primed to play a critical role, overcoming limited land availability and presenting an opportunity to increase renewable energy generation without deforestation, Rystad Energy’s report writes.

Mirroring the broader Asian region’s dominance of the global floating PV (FPV) market, Rystad Energy research shows that Southeast Asia will account for 10% of the region’s total solar capacity by 2030, encompassing ground-mounted, rooftop, and FPV installations, with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand well-positioned to be at the forefront.

However, addressing land rights is a pivotal challenge for solar developers in Southeast Asia due to the predominant use of available land for agricultural purposes, and the region grapples with a scarcity of suitable sites for solar farms. Rystad Energy notes that FPVs have emerged as a viable option, leveraging bodies of water adjacent to agricultural areas – an approach that circumvents land access tensions and presents a potential blueprint for other countries having similar issues.

“FPVs have emerged as a game-changer for Southeast Asia, catalyzing the region’s push towards clean energy by maximizing its abundant solar resources and overcoming limited land availability. Their modular design allows for integration with existing hydropower dams and unlocks tremendous opportunities for hydropower-rich nations like Laos, Thailand, and Indonesia,” said Jun Yee Chew, Head of Asia renewables and power research at Rystad Energy.

Operational FPV projects in Southeast Asia currently amount to around 500 MW combined, and, according to Rystad Energy’s data, an anticipated 300 MW of FPV capacity is expected to be added across Southeast Asia early this year alone.

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Source: Offshore energy

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