Solar4Ports: HelioRec Secures €561,247 to Demonstrate a 200 kWp Floating Solar Power Plant in One of France’s Largest Ports
- HelioRec Company
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Introduction
HelioRec is proud to announce that its Solar4Ports project has received €561,247 in non-repayable funding to develop and demonstrate a 200 kWp coastal floating solar power plant in one of France’s largest ports.
This support represents 45% of the project’s total eligible budget of €1,247,216, excluding VAT. Solar4Ports is supported by the Fonds de dotation pour la décarbonation de la filière maritime française, financed by the CMA CGM Group through its PULSE energy fund, with the grant programme managed by Bpifrance.
Solar4Ports will bring HelioRec’s W300A floating solar technology from advanced engineering validation to a full-scale demonstration in a real operational port environment.
The project is an important step towards transforming ports from centres of maritime transport and logistics into producers and consumers of locally generated renewable electricity.
The Challenge: How Can Ports Produce More Renewable Electricity?
Ports require significant amounts of electricity to operate terminals, warehouses, workshops, lighting, offices and an increasing number of electrified vehicles and maritime systems.
As the maritime sector moves towards decarbonisation, this demand will continue to grow. Shore-side electricity for vessels, electric port equipment, battery charging and low-carbon fuel production will all require additional renewable energy capacity.
However, available land inside ports is limited and highly valuable.
Port areas must accommodate cargo handling, storage facilities, transport infrastructure, industrial activities and safety zones. Rooftop solar can cover part of their electricity demand, but roofs alone may not provide enough surface area to meet their future energy needs.
At the same time, many ports contain sheltered or semi-sheltered water surfaces that could potentially accommodate floating solar panels without competing with agricultural land, industrial activities or urban development.
Conventional inland floating solar technology is generally designed for calm lakes and reservoirs. A floating solar power plant installed in a port must withstand much more demanding conditions, including:
Waves and swell
Strong winds
Tides and changing water levels
Marine currents
Saltwater exposure and corrosion
Regular vessel movements
Complex anchoring requirements
Strict safety and grid-connection requirements
Solar4Ports has been created to address these challenges.
Introducing Solar4Ports
Solar4Ports is a 24-month project dedicated to developing, installing and operating a 200 kWp floating photovoltaic demonstrator in one of France’s largest ports.
The installation will use HelioRec’s W300A floating solar technology, developed specifically for coastal, nearshore and port environments.
Unlike a small experimental prototype, the Solar4Ports demonstrator will operate at a scale capable of providing meaningful technical, operational and commercial data. It will allow HelioRec and its partners to evaluate how a coastal FPV system performs under real port conditions.
The project will cover the complete development process, including:
Site analysis and technical engineering
Bathymetric and environmental studies
Permitting and administrative procedures
Structural and hydrodynamic assessments
Mooring system design
Electrical system integration
Grid connection
Manufacturing and installation
Monitoring, operation and maintenance
Performance analysis and operational feedback
The final configuration and exact installation area will be determined following detailed studies of water depth, waves, port activities, environmental constraints, grid access and navigational requirements.
Why an Operational Port Environment?
The Solar4Ports demonstrator will be deployed in one of France’s largest ports, providing a particularly relevant environment for validating coastal floating solar technology.
The site combines real marine and operational conditions, including tides, wind, waves, saltwater exposure and regular industrial activity. These conditions are significantly more demanding than those encountered on a conventional inland reservoir.
The project builds on HelioRec’s previous operational experience with floating solar systems installed in challenging coastal environments. Solar4Ports will move this experience towards a complete, commercially relevant 200 kWp floating solar power plant.
The objective is not simply to demonstrate that solar panels can float on port water surfaces. It is to validate an integrated renewable-energy system capable of operating reliably, supplying locally generated electricity and supporting future larger-scale installations.
The W300A Coastal Floating Solar Technology
At the centre of Solar4Ports is HelioRec’s W300A system: a modular floating solar technology engineered for demanding coastal and nearshore environments.
The system has been designed for environmental conditions that may include:
Waves of up to four metres
Winds of up to 200 km/h
Dynamic tidal variations
Marine currents
Long-term saltwater exposure
Repeated mechanical loading caused by waves and wind
W300A combines durable floating components, flexible mechanical connections and a dynamic structural architecture that allows the floating solar platform to adapt to movement on the water.
This flexibility is particularly important in marine environments. A completely rigid structure can accumulate high mechanical loads as waves pass through the floating solar power plant. HelioRec’s technology is designed to distribute these loads across the system while maintaining stability and supporting the floating solar panels.
The W300A technology has also received Bureau Veritas Approval in Principle Level II, providing an important independent assessment of its concept and engineering basis.
What Will Solar4Ports Demonstrate?
Engineering for Real Marine Conditions
Before installation, HelioRec will conduct detailed engineering studies covering the environmental and operational conditions of the selected site.
These studies will evaluate wind, waves, tides, currents, water depth and critical combinations of environmental loads. The results will support the final configuration of the floating solar platform and ensure that its mooring system is adapted to the local seabed and operational constraints.
A Port-Adapted Mooring System
The mooring system is one of the most critical components of a coastal floating solar power plant.
It must keep the installation securely in position while allowing controlled movement under waves, tides and changing water levels. It must also remain compatible with port infrastructure, navigation and ongoing industrial activities.
Solar4Ports will help validate mooring methods that could later be adapted and replicated for other ports and coastal sites.
Safe Electrical Integration
A complete FPV project involves much more than floaters and solar panels.
Electrical cables, connectors, inverters and monitoring systems must operate safely in a humid and saline environment. Cable routes must accommodate the movement of the floating platform while protecting equipment against fatigue, abrasion, corrosion and accidental damage.
Solar4Ports will evaluate these electrical interfaces from the floating platform to the onshore grid-connection point.
Long-Term Operational Monitoring
The demonstrator is expected to operate for at least one year under real port conditions.
During this period, HelioRec will monitor:
Renewable electricity generation
Structural movement and mechanical behaviour
Electrical performance
Equipment availability
The condition of floaters and connectors
Mooring loads
Maintenance requirements
Environmental interactions
The resulting data will support further optimisation of HelioRec’s floating solar technology and provide valuable evidence for port operators, project developers, investors, insurers and independent technical advisers.
A New Business Model for Port Decarbonisation
One of the key objectives of Solar4Ports is to demonstrate not only the technical performance of coastal floating solar, but also a practical commercial model.
HelioRec is developing a Power Purchase Agreement, or PPA, approach for the project. Under this model, HelioRec develops, installs, owns and operates the floating solar power plant, while the port purchases the renewable electricity generated by the installation.
This model can provide several advantages for port operators:
No full upfront investment in the floating solar installation
More predictable renewable electricity costs
Local energy generation close to the point of consumption
Reduced exposure to electricity-market volatility
Lower indirect carbon emissions
Technical and operational responsibility managed by the project provider
A PPA can make floating solar cost more manageable by transforming a significant capital investment into a long-term electricity supply arrangement.
Subject to the final commercial agreement, the port may also have the possibility of purchasing the floating solar power plant after several years of operation.
Why Solar4Ports Matters for the Maritime Sector
Ports are becoming energy hubs.
In addition to serving vessels and handling cargo, future ports will increasingly produce, store, distribute and consume low-carbon energy. Floating solar technology can become an important part of this transformation.
A coastal FPV system can complement rooftop solar, wind energy, battery storage and shore-side electricity infrastructure. Because electricity is generated directly inside or near the port, transmission requirements and associated energy losses can potentially be reduced.
Solar4Ports will contribute to several strategic objectives:
Accelerating the decarbonisation of French maritime activities
Increasing renewable electricity production in ports
Reducing pressure on scarce industrial land
Validating European coastal floating solar technology
Supporting the electrification of port operations
Improving the bankability of nearshore FPV projects
Preparing floating solar technology for larger commercial deployments
The project directly supports the objectives of the French maritime decarbonisation programme, which aims to accelerate emissions reductions and bring innovative solutions closer to commercial deployment.
From a 200 kWp Demonstrator to Larger Port Installations
The 200 kWp Solar4Ports demonstrator is an important milestone, but it is not intended to represent the final commercial scale of the technology.
The project will generate the engineering, installation and operational experience required to prepare larger floating solar power plants. It will also help identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing, logistics, installation and maintenance costs.
If the demonstration confirms the expected performance and compatibility with port operations, Solar4Ports could provide the foundation for larger FPV deployments in France and internationally. Any future expansion would remain subject to technical studies, available water surfaces, permits, environmental requirements and commercial agreements.
This step-by-step approach is essential for the development of bankable coastal floating solar projects:
Validate the floating solar technology under laboratory and controlled conditions.
Demonstrate it in a real marine environment.
Monitor performance over an extended period.
Optimise floating solar cost and installation methods.
Progressively increase project capacity.
Solar4Ports will provide a bridge between advanced technology validation and commercial-scale deployment.
Innovation with Sustainability at Its Core
Solar4Ports aims to generate renewable electricity while respecting the environmental and operational context of the host port.
Environmental considerations will be integrated into the project’s development, including the assessment of potential interactions with water quality, sediments, biodiversity, birds and existing marine activities.
The modular nature of HelioRec’s floating solar technology also means that the system can be dismantled. Unlike permanent land-based infrastructure, the floating platform can potentially be removed, relocated or recycled at the end of its operating life.
HelioRec’s approach prioritises:
Durable and recyclable materials
Reduced use of valuable land
Responsible site selection
Monitoring of environmental effects
Efficient use of suitable port water surfaces
Long-term maintainability
Repair and replacement of individual components
The objective is to ensure that the energy transition remains compatible with marine ecosystem protection and the operational requirements of ports.
A Strong Vote of Confidence
The €561,247 non-repayable grant awarded to Solar4Ports represents a significant vote of confidence in HelioRec’s coastal floating solar technology and its potential contribution to maritime decarbonisation.
The project is supported through the Fonds de dotation pour la décarbonation de la filière maritime française, financed by CMA CGM through its PULSE energy fund, with the grant programme managed by Bpifrance.
This wider initiative supports French companies developing solutions capable of accelerating the transition of the maritime sector.
For HelioRec, this support will accelerate full-scale validation, strengthen engineering capabilities and create a credible path towards the commercial deployment of floating solar power plants in ports across France and internationally.
Acknowledgement
HelioRec gratefully acknowledges the support of CMA CGM, the Fund and Bpifrance in accelerating innovative solutions for maritime decarbonisation.
HelioRec designs and deploys floating solar systems for inland, port, coastal and nearshore environments.
HelioRec designs, manufactures, and deploys floating solar systems for both inland and marine nearshore environments. To discuss whether floating solar is suited to your site, *contact us
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