PitchBook分析师注：浮动风能和太阳能（英）-2023.7-10页_382kb

Summary of PitchBook Report on Floating Wind and Solar Energy

Key Findings

• Floating wind and solar technologies are emerging renewable solutions addressing land constraints and climate goals, with a growing VC ecosystem despite current cost premiums and technical challenges.

VC Ecosystem

• The market is small, dominated by Europe and Asia, with startups developing floating platforms; deal sizes are modest, and few exits have occurred, driven by decarbonization targets.

Need for Floating Energy

• Floating technologies enable offshore deployment in deeper waters, offering energy security and leveraging existing renewable cost reductions, especially where land-based options are limited.

Geographical Differences

• Europe and Asia are advanced, with large projects like Hywind Scotland, while the US is accelerating through auctions, with Europe leading in floating wind capacity.

Challenges and Benefits: Wind

• Challenges include high LCOE (up to 176% premium), platform stability issues, and maintenance costs; benefits include access to stronger winds, opening new sites and improving energy generation.

Challenges and Benefits: Solar

• Challenges involve cost premiums (about 25% vs. ground-based) due to platform expenses; benefits include reduced land use, water savings, and simplicity in grid connection with fewer ecosystem impacts.

Notable Companies

• Wind: Wind Catching Systems (Norway) with multi-turbine designs; Eolink (France) using semi-submersibles.
• Solar: Inseanergy (Norway) repurposing aquaculture equipment; SolarDuck (Netherlands) for offshore applications.