A new analysis shows floating solar power has the potential to deliver over 40GW of capacity by 2050.

The report, commissioned by renewables developer Bluefield with analysis provided by independent consultancy CBI Economics, identified floating solar as a major opportunity to boost domestic generation, strengthen energy security and support the UK’s transition.

Floating solar, it claims, could be deployed quickly and close to centres of demand, reducing pressure on the grid. Reservoirs are often located near population centres and planned AI growth zones, creating opportunities to co locate clean generation with energy intensive data infrastructure.

The report finds floating solar could scale to 3.6GW by 2030,18.3GW by 2040 and over 40GW by 2050, which would make it comparable to the UK’s entire current offshore wind fleet.

In addition to clean power generation, floating solar can deliver a range of environmental co benefits, including reduced evaporation losses, supporting drought resilience, lower surface water temperatures and improved water quality, reduced algal blooms and higher panel efficiency due to natural cooling.

Bluefield already operates the UK’s largest floating solar installation at the Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir, where solar power is supplied directly to the adjacent water treatment works. The company is now advancing a pipeline of utility scale floating solar projects across the country through its development arm.

Michael Shanks, Minister for Energy in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said: “It’s time Britain stopped letting our solar potential float on by. For too long, we have failed to harness the huge potential of our reservoirs for floating solar. As this report shows, floating solar could generate the equivalent of around 11 gas power stations by 2040, cutting our dependence on volatile global gas markets we do not control. In the wake of the conflict with Iran, which has once again exposed the risks of relying on fossil fuels, we are moving further and faster to deliver clean power, protecting bills and making us energy secure.”

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