World's Largest Floating Solar Power Plant

Floating Solar Power Plant

A solar power plant that is usually land-based settled in the array they are now being developed on the surface of water bodies that have photovoltaic panels floating over.

This can be done on reservoirs, lakes, sea, and open water bodies which are stable with the water levels and are close to the grid and thus cutting down on the costs and also helps reduce the evaporation of the water bodies. Also, these plants are flexible to expand and increase the capacity.

The idea for such may have come as, why not use the reservoir which is used for hydropower plant for floating solar power plant which will increase the whole capacity of the project and increase the green energy.

India's Floating Solar Story

The first such floating solar power plant was built and commissioned in 2014 in Kolkata, West Bengal with merely 10 KW capacity.

India's largest reservoir-based floating solar power plant project has been commissioned in Telegana to create 100 MW energy and further it can be increased, built on Ramagundam. The plant will cover a 450-acre area of the reservoir and is aimed to reduce carbon footprints to 30% of the capacity. Planned to be complete by May 2021. The project was given to National Thermal Power Cooperation Ltd.

India's and the World's Largest floating solar power plant will be in the state of Madhya Pradesh which will be having a capacity of 600 MW built on the backwater of the Omkareshwar Dam, Khandwa District of which 400 MW will be purchased alone by the Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company. Planned to complete this is 2022-2023. This plant will have new technology which will adjust the capacity of the panel and adjust the position according to the water level. The State Minister of Renewable Energy is set to invest a 30 billion rupee. The feasibility study for the project has been complete with the partnership of the World Bank.

What are the advantages of such a project?

1. Increase capacity of renewable energy projects like hydropower plants by building them on the reservoir which is just open
2. Reduces the algae as the panels float over water bodies
3. Such project reduce building cost and connectivity becomes easy in the project discussed in the first point
4. Reduce land encroachment problem.

Such projects have been completed in many countries and thus projects like these have a record of having more benefits.

Indian State-wise solar lead:

1. Karnataka
2. Telangana
3. Rajasthan
4. Andhra Pradesh
5. Gujarat
6. Tamil Nadu
7. Madhya Pradesh
8. Maharashtra
9. Uttar Pradesh
10. Punjab