Singapore built a floating solar farm in the sea, but thousands of barnacles turned it into an engineering challenge that could sink its 13,000 solar panels
Singapore uses floating solar farms to overcome land scarcity for renewable energy goals. Marine organisms like barnacles attach to pontoons, adding significant weight and reducing buoyancy. This biofouling accelerates corrosion and can damage electrical components of the solar arrays. Maintaining these offshore solar plants requires constant maintenance and inspections.
