New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh can now boast the largest floating solar power plant in India after the Government managed NTPC assigned a 25MW project in the reservoir at the SIMHADRI coal power plant in Vishakhapatnam on Saturday.
Floating solar power projects were seen as a game-changer in Indian search to build 450 gw renewable energy capacity (gigawatt) because of the advantages attached on onland projects, which require a large, non-forest large tracture.
Solar floating reduces the losses related to temperature due to the cooling effects of water they float, reduce the level of evaporation of water and have lower care costs.
The NTPC floating solar installation includes 75 hectares of SIMHADRI reservoir surfaces.
This will produce power from more than one lakh solar PV module for 7,000 household lighting.
This project will save every year 46,000 tons of CO2 emissions and 1,364 million liters of water, which are sufficient to meet the requirements of 6,700 households in a year.
Floating solar factory is part of the Behemoth plan that burns coal to turn green by adding 60 gigawatten renewable energy capacity in 2032.
It is also the first solar project to be regulated under the ‘Flexibilisation’ scheme of the Ministry of Power 2018 which allows the power supply generator From one of their sources, based on plant efficiency, to reduce discounted costs.
NTPC also built a 100 MW floating solar power plant at Reservoir Thermal Ramagundam Power Station in Tamil Nadu.
The Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd has been tied with NHPC to explore, plan and develop commercially floating solar power projects with a total of 500 MW capacity in stages in the state reservoir.