The operator himself, Oceans of Energy, speaks in response to ‘start-up problems’ that are part of innovative projects in the heavy North Sea environment. “A number of electrical connectors showed defects, which led to local short circuit. The solar park is therefore temporarily electrically insulated,” says the company. “Work is now being done on replacing the connectors with the aim of resuming electrical production.”
Questions are not answered
Questions from De Telegraaf about the exact duration of the fire, any environmental consequences and why photos of the aftermath of the incident had to be removed have not yet been answered by the company. Striking: shortly after this newspaper asked questions, a brief message from the operator on social media appeared. Signals about the incident came from fishing circles.
Photographer had to remove images
Photographer Herman IJsseling from Flying Focus happened to fly along the solar park on August 21. “I took some photos without knowing that there had been a fire. Through social media someone pointed me up later,” he says. “To my surprise, the operator then asked me if I wanted to remove the images. They said they wanted to come up with a press release and wanted to share the first images of the solar park in it. I thought that was strange: we live in a free country. Everyone can take pictures there. When I later heard about the fire, it felt like the news had to stay under the cap.”
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According to Rijkswaterstaat, the fire had no influence on shipping. “It is not allowed to sail around the solar park anyway,” said the service. Whether there have been consequences for the environment should be apparent from the Oceans of Energy research. “The permit holder of the solar park conducts further investigation into the cause of the incident. Rijkwaterstaat ensures that, after completing the investigation, the license holder submits a plan of action to RWS to remove the risks of repeating a similar incident.”
The floating solar park has been installed since August between the wind turbines of Hollandse Kust Noord. © Photo Flying Focus
First solar park at sea between the windmills
The solar park, which bears the name Nymphaea Aurora, is the first floating solar energy project in the world that was laid out in a wind farm at sea. It consists of hundreds of solar panels that are on floating pontoons, 18.5 kilometers from the coast between the turbines of Hollandse Kust Noord. The project serves as an important test to investigate whether solar and wind energy can be combined safely and efficiently in the North Sea.