Fred. Olsen 1848 has unveiled the Tension Buoy, an adaptive mooring technology designed to overcome one of the main challenges of deploying floating solar on water bodies with large water level variations.
Pairing floating solar with hydropower could unlock hundreds of GWs of renewable capacity worldwide, according to Fred. Olsen 1848, but conventional fixed mooring systems struggle to maintain appropriate line tension when water levels fluctuate. Lines can become too taut or too slack, leading to reduced efficiency, increased maintenance, and operational uncertainty.
The Tension Buoy system integrates a smart, automatic winch mounted at the top of the buoy to dynamically adjust mooring line length as water levels rise and fall. The system maintains optimal tension in the mooring line without manual intervention, allowing floating solar arrays to remain securely positioned even when reservoirs fluctuate by several meters.
The mooring chain runs through the buoy’s center, rising from below, gliding over the gypsy, and descending again, with surplus chain hanging freely to accommodate shifting depths. This design combines simplicity with reliability, delivering continuous tension control without unnecessary complexity or high costs, according to the company.
Fred. Olsen 1848 said the technology can be used temporarily during installation for precise tensioning or permanently during operations, automatically adapting to changing water levels throughout the life of floating photovoltaic (FPV) projects.
“Hydro dams are dynamic, with levels rising and falling by many meters in short periods of time. Where fixed mooring systems struggle with lines being either too short or too long when water level changes, our Tension Buoy adapts the lines to ideal lengths and tension without manual handling.
“This keeps floating solar arrays stable and secure through every cycle. By making hybridization straightforward, it enables operators to unlock new renewable potential and deliver reliable clean enery,” Fred. Olsen 1848 said.
The company said the innovation opens new opportunities for hybrid solar–hydro energy systems. By pairing solar arrays with existing hydropower dams, operators can enhance grid stability and flexibility, with solar power supplementing hydropower during bright hours or dry periods, while dams continue providing baseload power.