Solar island for green power

United Arab Emirates has just contracted with a Swiss firm, CSEM to purchase a floating solar island. The construction of a prototype is now underway in the Gulf. It will have a diameter of 100 metres, one-tenth of the size of an actual solar island with a peak power generation of roughly 1 megawatt. Because of its floating structure, the island could be easily turned to always face the sun, generating maximum power.

The plant will produce energy by concentrating solar power onto pipes containing water. The water will boil, and be used to spin turbines. Once shipped off-shore, the islands could be used to convert seawater to hydrogen, allowing them to be autonomous and untethered to the shore. They hydrogen could be picked up by barges, instead of having to transport the electricity to shore via a physical connection