en.Wedoany.com Reported - A French consortium has deployed a prototype floating solar shellfish farming platform in the center of the Thau Lagoon in southern France. The platform, measuring 53 meters long and 18 meters wide, combines photovoltaic power generation with oyster farming, installed adjacent to existing shellfish farming facilities.

This demonstration project aims to develop new models supporting the future of the local shellfish industry while addressing regional energy and environmental challenges. The shellfish industry in the Thau Lagoon produces over 10,000 tons of oysters and mussels annually, relying on 2,781 farming platforms and supporting more than 1,500 jobs.

The installation is designed to withstand waves exceeding 12 meters and cyclones up to 200 km/h. The trial phase runs from July 2026 to December 2027, an 18-month period corresponding to a complete oyster farming cycle, to evaluate the prototype's technical, environmental, and economic performance.

This pilot project, named SolarinThau, is led by a consortium comprising the Mediterranean Regional Shellfish Farming Committee (CRCM), startup SolarinBlue, and the Thau Basin Joint Association (SMBT), with financial support from the French government and the Occitanie region. The installation was assembled at the commercial port of Sète and launched on May 16, 2026, into the Colbert Basin for technical inspections. The official inauguration ceremony for the prototype is scheduled for Thursday, July 2, 2026, with local stakeholders and national partners in attendance.

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