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Published in: Solar, Press Releases
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A pioneer in floating solar, Ciel & Terre unveils Fusio®, an innovation that bridges robustness and performance. A decisive step toward the next generation of floating solar power plants.
1. Legacy and continuous innovation at Ciel & Terre
A pioneer in floating solar, Ciel & Terre set a turning point in 2011 with the launch of Hydrelio®, the world’s first industrialized floating solar solution. Fifteen years later, the track record is one of a kind: more than 1.4 GWp of projects installed, spread across over 340 floating solar power plants in more than 30 different countries.
Since the very beginnings of a floating solar market that did not yet exist, Ciel & Terre has both shaped and learned from the Floating PV sector. Each project, site, and client has brought its own challenges: diverse environmental conditions, specific needs, and local constraints. Faced with this constant evolution, Ciel & Terre has always strived to push its limits by combining two pillars that define its DNA:
- an enterprising and bold approach, focused on innovation and tailor-made solutions;
- a responsible mindset, driven by the will to provide sustainable, safe, and reliable technologies
In this spirit, for the past 5 years, Ciel & Terre’s R&D teams have been exploring new pathways to better meet the expectations of a rapidly growing market. Out of this drive for innovation was born their latest development:
2. The strengths of Fusio®
With Fusio®, Ciel & Terre strengthens and diversifies its technological portfolio in response to the ongoing evolution of the floating solar market. Designed as a direct response to market needs, this system embodies robustness, GW-scale performance, and competitiveness.
2.1. A technical innovation inspired by bridge engineering
The triangular shape of the Fusio® structure draws inspiration from major principles of engineering and architecture (bridges, pyramids, or skyscrapers). It is the most stable and resilient geometric form to withstand external forces.
Its honeycomb design provides outstanding mechanical strength and stability, while ensuring an optimal distribution of environmental loads across the structure.
2.2. A lever for competitiveness in floating solar projects
Fusio® stands out not only for its robustness but also for its concrete economic benefits:
- LCOE optimization,
- a significant reduction in transport volumes and logistics costs thanks to its compact design,
- fast, large-scale production through an optimized manufacturing process that shortens lead times and accelerates project delivery.
- Thanks to its reduced water footprint and the elevation of the PV modules above the surface, Fusio® also allows for better airflow underneath the panels, improving cooling and boosting energy production, up to +2% in high temperature conditions*
Altogether, these benefits make Fusio® a highly competitive solution, designed to support and deliver projects ranging from hundreds of MW up to GW scale.
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2.3. Re-engineered maintenance with the Catamaran
Because a floating solar plant must remain efficient throughout its lifetime, we have designed a unique maintenance solution for Fusio®: a catamaran specially developed to slide across the PV modules.
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This exclusive boat operates directly on the floating structure, providing safe, fast, and easy access to every solar module, electrical equipment, and cables. Our R&D teams have also integrated smart features, such as onboard cleaning systems, to simplify maintenance and operations.
This approach eases inspections and decrease manual labor and improve safety. The result: smoother, safer, and more efficient operations.
3. Fusio® deployment outlook
With Fusio®, Ciel & Terre reaffirms its commitment to driving the energy transition by delivering technologies that are reliable, competitive, and tailored to local realities. This new solution represents a key milestone in the development of large-scale floating solar. Fusio® will be particularly relevant and well-suited for markets such as India or Southeast Asia, where environmental and economic conditions favour its deployment.
True to its pioneering role, Ciel & Terre restates its ambition to shape the future of Floating PV alongside its partners, continually exploring new approaches to boost performance and sustainability.
The launch of Fusio® is therefore an open invitation to developers, EPCs, and energy stakeholders to join Ciel & Terre in this new chapter of floating solar history.
ABOUT CIEL ET TERRE
Established in 2006 as a specialist in the integration of photovoltaic systems, Ciel & Terre® (C&T) has been fully devoted to floating solar PV since 2011. In response to land use conflicts, the company has developed the first patented, and industrialized water-based PV concept: Hydrelio®. The range now includes several PV floating systems as well as a large panel of services across the full project process (engineering, anchoring, installation, maintenance).
With a network of subsidiaries located in 7 countries, Ciel & Terre initiated more than 340 floating photovoltaic projects in 30 countries. Since 2025, the company have installed about 1.4 GWp of floating solar power plants.
