Inalia

Isigenere — Triple-Island Floating Solar Array Structural & Hydrodynamic Engineering (45 MW)

Isigenere — Triple-Island Floating Solar Array Structural & Hydrodynamic Engineering (45 MW)

Inalia performed the structural and hydrodynamic engineering of a 45 MW floating solar plant, developed as three independent 15 MW floating islands, each hosting 25,000 solar panels.

NEED

Hydrodynamic analysis engineering, from conceptual to detailed design, for three independently designed 15 MW floating islands under site-specific reservoir conditions.

CHALLEGES

  • Unique design approach per island due to reservoir morphology and varying environmental exposure.
  • Lift/drag characterisation for floats and float+PV assemblies, and wave attenuation behaviour.
  • Analysis of  multi-directional wind/wave/current loads and 10 m water level fluctuation.
  • Industry-wide challenge of hydrodynamically modelling large-scale (15 MW+) floating islands.

SOLUTION

  • OrcaFlex hydrodynamic detailed modelling per island.
  • CFD studies (lift/drag coefficients, wave attenuation)
  • Proprietary OrcaFlex automation framework — automated model generation, batch load-case processing, real-time reporting and custom analytics interface — now part of Inalia’s core portfolio, to overcome the industry-wide challenge of modelling large-scale floating islands:
    • Automated, script-based generation of the complete hydrodynamic model for complex geometries.
    • Batch-processing for high-efficiency execution of hundreds of load cases.
    • Automated data extraction and reporting for rapid design iteration.
    • Custom-built graphics for comparative structural response analysis, optimising selection of the safest and most cost-effective design.