A French consortium has deployed a prototype floating solar shellfish farming platform combining photovoltaic power generation with oyster farming. Measuring 53 metres long and 18 metres wide, the structure has been deployed in the heart of Thau Lagoon, in southern France, alongside existing shellfish farming installations.
Through this demonstrator, the project aims to develop new models supporting the future of the local shellfish industry while addressing regional energy and environmental challenges. Thau Lagoon’s shellfish sector produces more than 10,000 tonnes of oysters and mussels annually, relies on 2,781 farming platforms, and supports over 1,500 jobs.
Designed to withstand waves exceeding 12 metres and cyclonic winds of up to 200 km/h, the installation will undergo an 18-month trial phase from July 2026 to December 2027. This period corresponds to a full oyster farming cycle, enabling the evaluation of the prototype’s technical, environmental and economic performance under real operating conditions.
Named SolarinThau, the pilot project is led by a consortium comprising the Mediterranean Regional Shellfish Farming Committee (CRCM), start-up SolarinBlue, and the Thau Basin Joint Association (SMBT), with financial support from the French government and the Occitanie Region.
Prior to its installation in the lagoon, the unit was assembled over recent months at the commercial port of Sète. It was then launched into the Colbert Basin on 16 May 2026 for initial technical checks. The official inauguration of the prototype is scheduled for Thursday, 2 July 2026, in the presence of local stakeholders and national partners.
