ABP Plans to Build England's Biggest Floating Solar Plant

 

Britain's top ports operator has announced plans to install the largest floating solar project in the country at the Port of Barrow, north of Liverpool on England's eastern coastline. 

The port has submitted planning documents for the "Barrow EnergyDock," which will be located in the Cavendish Dock, a former harbor basin and shipbuilding area that is now an enclosed reservoir. 

The floating station will generate up to a peak of 40 MW worth of power for customers in the advanced manufacturing sector (BAe Systems' submarine manufacturing plant). It would also benefit the port by providing lower-cost electricity, according to ABP. 

The panels will be mounted at a fixed angle on floating pontoons, which will be anchored to the bottom of the dock. The array of 47,000 panels would cover about a third of the entire surface area, leaving the remainder open for leisure usage - notably shoreside and pierside fishing. ABP notes that using the water area for power generation also leaves land free and unencumbered for future port development. All going well, the project could be completed in as little as 9-12 months after planning approval is received. 

ABP carried out wildlife surveys and assessments to ensure that the array would have no significant impacts, and it held two public planning meetings to solicit input from residents. 

The port company has bigger plans for Barrow's long-term expansion, to include new infrastructure to support offshore wind operations and a new jetty.