Alotta Energy Chile has completed the country's first floating solar installation at Mowi’s Isla Huar salmon farm, located in the Los Lagos region. The project aims to lower CO2 emissions and reduce reliance on diesel in offshore aquaculture operations.

The initiative will bolster the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) vision, which seeks to interlink the power systems of ASEAN member states.

The system was developed, funded, and installed by Alotta Energy Chile, a subsidiary of Norway-based Alotta AS. It is part of the company’s Solar Hybrid platform and uses a membrane-based structure licensed from Ocean Sun. The solar power produced will either be consumed on-site or stored in batteries, meeting up to 50% of the energy needs at the location.

According to Alotta, the system is projected to cut CO2 emissions by 350 tons per year. This reduction is comparable to planting approximately 14,000 trees or preserving more than 12 hectares of native forest. The new installation is intended to support more energy-efficient and environmentally conscious operations at the farm.

Mowi Chile’s Seawater Production Manager, Ricardo Gantenbein, stated: “For the industry to move toward more sustainable standards, working with suppliers and other partners to promote the incorporation of new technologies to minimize impacts is key. In this sense, this initiative marks an important step in the innovation of solutions to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency in our daily operations.”

The project was carried out in partnership with the AKVA group, which provided infrastructure integration and will oversee system maintenance, and Fjord Maritime, which delivered the energy storage component. Alotta Energy Chile will continue to provide power to the site through an energy-as-a-service model.

Kari-Elin Hildre, General Manager of Alotta Energy Chile, commented: “The solar hybrid technology, tested off the Norwegian coast, demonstrates that renewable energy is now ready to replace diesel in global aquaculture. Seeing it in operation in Chile is an achievement we are very proud of.”

The hybrid system follows an earlier deployment by Alotta at a salmon farm in Northern Norway and is part of the company’s broader strategy to expand into international off-grid and aquaculture markets. These markets are often highly dependent on diesel, and the company offers a quieter, lower-emission energy alternative to conventional barge-based systems.

In a related development, Alotta and Emilsen Fisk began installing a floating solar facility at Bafjordstranda in February. This project has been described as the “world’s northernmost floating solar power plant.”

Separately, Singapore-based Canopy Power and Norway’s Ocean Sun have entered a strategic agreement to promote floating solar solutions in Australia. Their collaboration seeks to address energy challenges while taking into account land and water limitations.

by power-technology