The independent assurance provider DNV has completed a technical review of BRIZO, the floating solar system developed by Norwegian maritime group Fred Olsen 1848, giving the concept a formal basis to move toward project development and commercial deployment. Unlike most floating photovoltaic systems, which are limited to sheltered lakes and reservoirs, BRIZO is designed to operate in more exposed waters.
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BRIZO uses a flexible rope mesh and tensioning system, in place of the rigid pontoon structures common to conventional floating solar. Most FPV installations are confined to calm inland waters, which limits where the technology can be deployed at scale. BRIZO is designed instead for coastal and near-shore sites, extending floating solar into environments with greater wave exposure.
DNV's assessment covered the system's design methodology, hydrodynamic load modelling based on physical testing, and structural behaviour under stress, drawing on its own standards for offshore and marine renewable technology. The result gives Fred Olsen 1848 an independent technical basis to take into bankability discussions with developers and investors, a step the company says is critical to its commercial plans.
Geir Grimsrud, Chief Technical Officer at Fred. Olsen 1848, said: "This first of a kind Certificate represents a milestone not just for BRIZO but for the entire industry. It demonstrates BRIZO as a robust technology and it paves the way for others to follow as the industry starts to take shape."
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The review lands as floating solar looks for room to grow. DNV's Energy Transition Outlook 2025 forecasts continued rapid expansion of solar deployment generally, driven by falling costs and rising electrification. That growth is increasingly running into constraints on land availability, permitting and grid capacity, particularly in markets where suitable sites are already scarce.
Prajeev Rasiah, DNV's Senior Vice President and Regional Director for Northern Europe: "Floating solar is entering a new phase of maturity, where the industry must move beyond sheltered waters to unlock meaningful scale. Technologies capable of operating in more exposed environments could significantly expand the addressable market for FPV, particularly in regions facing land constraints, competing land use, or growing pressure on grid infrastructure."
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Floating solar has so far been a niche within a niche, useful mainly where land is scarce and water is calm. A design that holds up in coastal and near-shore conditions would widen that niche considerably, particularly in Europe, where suitable inland sites are limited and competition for land use is intense. (TF)
