Oil giant BP’s solar arm, Lightsource bp, has unveiled the company’s first-ever clean energy-fed aquaculture project, a 150MW PV-powered fishery off Taiwan.

The Budai development, being built by Lightsource bp with partner Green Rock Energy, will produce 210,000MWh of electricity a year – equal to the demand of 43,000 homes and savings of 133,770 tonnes CO2 emissions – to operate the facility.

“This deal reflects the innovative ways renewable energy can be deployed to power both industries and communities. Lightsource bp has achieved phenomenal growth and it’s exactly the type of pace we want to keep as we head towards a net zero future,” said David Anderson, BP’s senior vice president of renewables growth.

Lightsource bp CEO Nick Boyle stated: “There are a lot of interesting opportunities for solar in Asia and our long-term ambition is to have an EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa], Americas and an Asia Pacific region so we’re excited that through our first East Asian project in Taiwan, we are beginning to build that third leg of the stool.

“Taiwan relies on imports for about 95% of its energy which leaves its energy supply vulnerable to external disruption. This energy challenge, coupled with the need for sustainably generated electricity makes Taiwan a unique project.”

Lightsource bp said the solar fishery project was “designed to benefit the local environment and community”, with company having engaged environmental specialists to develop Bundai to include 200 ponds for fishermen’s use and adding saltwater storage lagoons to optimise water management practices.

Construction of the installation – which will mount PV panel on supports driven into the ground and pond-beds “high above the water to allow fishing to continue”, a BP spokesperson told Recharge – is expected to start in June 2023.

China’s biggest wind developer Longyuan Power last year announced it will build what is claimed to be the world’s first floating wind power project to be integrated with aquaculture, near Nari island, in the South China Sea.