The Grand Port Maritime of Martinique (GPMLM) has partnered with French offshore solar developer SolarinBlue to develop Soley Blé, the first offshore floating photovoltaic (PV) project in the Caribbean Arc.
According to SolarinBlue, the project will be located near the Pointe des Grives container terminal in Fort-de-France Bay. As part of its energy transition strategy, GPMLM is expanding its decarbonization efforts through collaboration with SolarinBlue.
“With Soley Ble, the Grand Port Maritime of Martinique is taking a decisive step towards carbon neutrality and energy innovation. By investing in cutting-edge solutions such as offshore floating solar, we are asserting our ambition: to make Martinique a sustainable port hub and a pilot territory for marine renewable energies in the Caribbean,” said Bruno Mence , Chairman of the Port’s Management Board.
The Soley Blé project is expected to have an installed capacity between 1 and 4 MWp. Once operational, it will strengthen the port’s energy autonomy, reduce its carbon footprint, and is expected to support operations at the container terminal.
“We are proud to support the Grand Port Maritime of Martinique in this pioneering initiative and to concretely contribute to the island’s energy transition,” added Aurélien Croq , CEO of SolarinBlue.
Technical, regulatory, and environmental studies are scheduled to begin this fall to define the project’s location and business model.
Founded in 2019, SolarinBlue develops offshore solar farms designed to withstand harsh marine conditions. In 2023, the company deployed Sun’Sète, the first offshore solar demonstrator in the Mediterranean, which reportedly withstood waves of up to 9 meters during testing.
SolarinBlue aims to expand globally, targeting ports, islands, and co-located sites with offshore wind. Its technology is said to offer island regions an alternative to imported fossil fuels, providing clean, local power without using limited coastal land.
In March, researchers from Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer completed the first environmental sampling mission for the French renewable energy company SolarinBlue’s Méga Sète offshore floating solar project.