Archwey, EDPR Sunseap explore using recycled plastic in floating solar projects

PlasticBean, a company of Singapore-based Archwey, has announced a partnership with EDPR Sunseap, a clean energy solutions provider based in Singapore, to use Bluewave, a recycled plastic made from ocean-bound and local postconsumer plastic, to build pontoons to support a solar farm.

The companies say floating solar farms allow for the construction of enormous generators of renewable energy without using land. They can be constructed on any large body of water, such as lakes or reservoirs, where the cooling effect of the water makes the solar panels more efficient than land-based panels and have the potential to generate more energy than roof or ground-mounted systems.

Floating solar installations traditionally are built using pontoons made exclusively from virgin plasti. Archwey’s thermoplastic Bluewave removes the need for virgin plastic, using postuse plastic collected at riverbanks and coastal areas.

In the past 18 months, Archwey says it has recycled 32,500 metric tons of plastic that would otherwise have found its way to the ocean. Its circular model removes waste from the environment and prevents the use of more oil in addition to creating less greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing, therefore ensuring decarbonization.

“Using virgin plastic in the skeleton frame construction of renewable energy farms defeats the purpose—taking precious fossil fuels from the planet while aiming to reduce its dependency on oil,” says Archwey CEO Sjoerd Fauser. “By using Bluewave, a recycled and recyclable material, in the construction of floating solar farms, we can dramatically reduce the use of virgin plastic and help make this industry genuinely sustainable.” 

Fauser adds, “This strategic partnership with EDPR Sunseap, a pioneering energy provider, is an important milestone in our mission to reverse the damage humanity has done to our planet over the past century. Like us, they believe a better future is possible. This is a huge step to a truly sustainable world.”