Some milestones feel bigger than others – this is one of them. Ocean Sun has officially received the world’s first Type Certificate for a floating solar technology, issued under the Bureau Veritas NI 631 scheme for marine renewable energy systems.

To us this feels more than an award, this is a statement that our cutting edge membrane technology for floating solar is no longer an “emerging concept” or a speculative niche, but has now taken a big step into the reliable certified floating renewables. With this certification, Ocean Sun’s patented membrane-based system enters the same league of trust and verification as offshore wind foundations and other marine renewable structures. This confirms that our circular floaters, flexible membrane, HDPE rings, and unique double-keder fastening system have been engineered, documented, and tested to the highest international standards.

For Ocean Sun, we look at this as a recognition of years of technical development — hydrodynamic modelling, membrane tensile testing, design calculations, mooring studies, and extensive documentation — all of which built toward this moment. And for our FPV industry as a whole, this marks the beginning of a new chapter: one where FPV is not only viable at inland waters, but now also fully certifiable for ocean application.

The future of floating solar has just grown much larger.

If you’re not working daily with marine structures, “Type Certificate” might sound like a procedural formality. But for many industries, it’s the ultimate test. A Type Certificate is the highest form of third-party verification a renewable technology can receive. It represents a full audit of how the system is designed, built, and proven through testing — and whether it can be considered safe, reliable, and bankable for long-term deployment.

Earlier we have received a Certificate of Conformity from DNV, which verified the design premise and performance of the system for specific projects. This was a great step in the right direction, but the new Type Certificate from Bureau Veritas goes further: this is a comprehensive, technology-wide certification that covers design, manufacturing, and type testing for our family of products.

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV), one of the world’s most respected classification societies, has now evaluated Ocean Sun’s membrane-based floating solar system against a list of requirements and more specific the BV NI 631, as well as BV NR 216, BV NR 445, BV NR 493, and BV NI 525.

This process included reviewing the reinforced polymer membrane that supports the PV modules, the patented double-keder fastening system, HDPE buoyancy rings and welding, mooring interfaces, station-keeping methodology, and electrical safety components, and does not include PV module certification.

More than 100 individual documents all ranging from design basis reports, structural analyses and hydrodynamic simulations to membrane tests, welding logs, manufacturing procedures, and installation manuals have been reviewed— illustrating the depth of this evaluation.

The final verdict from BV is unambiguous:

“The Membrane Floating Solar System complies with the applicable standards and certification scheme requirements.”

One more thing that makes us even more proud is that this is the first floating solar system that meets the same rigorous standards used for offshore wind and wave technologies. It establishes floating solar not just as an alternative power solution, but as a certified marine technology ready for scale, and we are ready!

For developers, utilities, and EPCs, the value of this certificate is straightforward: certainty.

Until now, the offshore and nearshore FPV market has existed in a space of interest and ambition, but with a lingering question mark around long-term durability, safety, and structural performance. Large-scale projects require bankability, and bankability requires trust and we believe this recognized Type Certificate provides exactly that needed trust and certainty for the investors.

For those who are not too much familiar with these kind of certificates you now probably wonder why? Let me then explain that with this BV certification, technical risk drops significantly. Every major structural and hydrodynamic element has now been independently validated. Then financing becomes easier as banks and insurers relies on third-party certification. Permitting becomes smoother, regulators now have a clear reference point and internationally recognized methodology and the commercialization accelerates because developers can confidently integrate Ocean Sun’s system into large coastal or marine energy portfolios.

In Ocean Sun we have for a long time said and partly proved with projects in exposed locations that floating solar is not limited to calm inland water bodies. However, it is now certified fit for marine environments — unlocking new markets where land is scarce, energy demand is high, and the ocean offers large available surface areas.

For investors, this milestone makes FPV a robust asset class ready for project developments. The certification provides a framework that reduces perceived risk and enhances long-term project viability and in short, floating solar just became a lot more bankable.

The Type Certificate is not only a milestone and an achievement for Ocean Sun, it is also a beginning. This sets the stage for the next phase of our floating solar system— one defined by scale, confidence, and global expansion.

For Ocean Sun, this milestone also strengthens our role as a global technology provider. It makes it much easier for our partners to license our system, it simplifies integration into large-scale tenders, and provides a recognized pathway for project certification.

We expect that this will open doors to new markets where regulatory barriers are high and requires validated solutions. As more governments, Island Nations, resorts and utilities require certified systems for their marine energy portfolios, the Ocean Sun solution is an obvious choice, facilitating entry into regions with ambitious renewable energy goals.

Our already completed near shore projects backed by this Type Certification enhances the market confidence, as we now see new interest in our technology from potential partners, customers and governments. The recognition from Bureau Veritas reassures stakeholders of the bankability of projects and enabling Ocean Sun to scale up faster and compete alongside established FPV technologies. It also elevates Ocean Sun from an innovative developer to a globally certified technology provider, accelerating commercialization and securing its place in large-scale tenders and strategic partnerships. Ultimately, the certification underpins the company’s growth strategy, paving the way for new revenue streams, expanded market reach, and a leading role in the transition toward sustainable, ocean-based renewable energy solutions.

We have always believed that our membrane-based approach, with its flexible structure and natural water-cooling, was uniquely suited to the ocean. Now, with Bureau Veritas’s Type Certificate, that belief is backed by one of the world’s most trusted authorities.

If you would like to learn more about our technology or are interested in investigating new project developments and opportunities, we would be more than happy to sit down for a meeting to help you unlock affordable renewable energy!

Carl Petter Lehne
Chief Operation Officer
cpl@oceansun.no

Farhan Ajiwaskita
Senior Naval Architect
fa@oceansun.no