Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 15, French floating solar developer Ciel & Terre has introduced Fusio, a new floating photovoltaic (FPV) technology designed to enhance performance, scalability, and efficiency for large-scale projects. Building on 15 years of expertise since launching its Hydrelio system, Fusio incorporates a honeycomb-inspired structure and improved cooling to increase energy yield and reduce the levelized cost of energy.

The triangular honeycomb design, inspired by structural engineering used in bridges and skyscrapers, ensures stability and uniform load distribution. Its compact float footprint and elevated PV configuration improve airflow beneath the modules, enhancing cooling and potentially boosting energy output by up to 2% in warm climates. Ciel & Terre stated: “In partnership with the CEA, we are developing a numerical model to estimate this gain with greater precision based on your site’s characteristics.”

Fusio supports standard PV modules up to 800 Wp, offering tilt angles of 5 and 12 degrees. Its modular design enables flexible array configurations, suitable for gigawatt-scale installations. The system’s compact form reduces transport and installation costs, while streamlined production and optimized on-site assembly accelerate deployment.

Maintenance has been simplified with a catamaran-based system, allowing safe navigation across the floating structure to access PV panels, inverters, and cabling without walking on the array. Integrated cleaning options further enhance performance and ease upkeep. The company’s engineers noted: “From the conceptualization phase to market deployment, we unravel complexities and implement best practices to derive solutions. During the design phase, we do develop a lot of prototypes and test them before design freeze. We apply safety factors in our design to ensure the project lifetime.”

Fusio has undergone rigorous testing, including wave fatigue, traction, compression, stability, hydrodynamic, and CFD simulations. Built to last up to 30 years, it uses UV-stabilized HDPE floats suitable for drinking-water reservoirs and can withstand nearshore and typhoon conditions. Bureau Veritas is independently assessing the system.

The first Fusio pilot, a 100 kWp installation, was completed at a hydro-dam in India in 2022. A larger 4.3 MWp project at another Indian hydro-dam is under construction, with completion expected in Q3 2025. Supported by the European Commission’s Innovation Fund, Ciel & Terre is developing a Fusio project in Belgium to expand renewable energy generation on water surfaces. In September 2025, the company completed an 11 MWp floating solar project in Saint-Elix, France, for SOLVEO Energies, reinforcing its leadership in FPV technology.