Port of Bilbao hosts modular floating solar energy pilot

Landatu Solar has installed a modular floating solar pilot in the waters of the Port of Bilbao to evaluate its performance in a real-world marine environment.

Port of Bilbao hosts modular floating solar energy pilot

The initial phase will inform technical conclusions on system development and assess its suitability for offshore deployment.

The project will provide insight into how waves, wind, corrosion, and anchoring complexity affect structural performance, supporting the planning of future scale-up phases.

The 12 x 12-metre pilot, moored at the Santurtzi dock, uses a modular stretched membrane and mesh structure with a buoyant outer frame.

This design improves adaptability to wave loads while enabling simple, transportable components, potentially reducing installation time and logistical complexity.

This work forms part of the Seamod project, which aims to develop scalable floating PV solar systems for the marine environment.

The solution is designed for integration with other offshore renewables, such as wind, offering a route to expand clean energy production while reducing pressure on land-based resources.

Seamod is being developed by Landatu Solar with support from the Basque Government Hazitek 2024 programme and co-financed by the Basque Government Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment and the European Union’s ERDF.

In November 2025, the Port of Bilbao became the first operational environment to host real-world testing of the H2TowTractor, a hydrogen-powered towing vehicle designed to decarbonise high-intensity logistics activities.