Uttar Pradesh cabinet clears 150 MW floating solar plant over Rihand Dam

The plant will attract an investment of Rs 750 crore into the state, with Rs 500 crore coming from ReNew Power to set up 100 MW and Rs 250 crore from Shapoorji Pallonji for the remaining 50 MW.

August 7, 2019 Uma Gupta

The potential of power generation from floating solar is mind-boggling for India, as the country is endowed with many large reservoirs.

Image: Ciel & Terre

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has cleared the way to set up a 150 MW floating solar power plant at the Rihand Dam in the state’s Sonbhadra district, with Solar Energy Corp. of India (SECI) as the facilitator. The project will require an investment of Rs 750 crore.

“There will be no investment from the state, and the entire project investment of Rs 750 crore will be made by private developers,” said the state’s power minister, Shrikant Sharma.

SECI has already conducted the bidding process. While ReNew Solar Power will produce 100 MW, Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Private will generate 50 MW from this project, Sharma said. The plant will be the first floating solar project in Uttar Pradesh and the biggest in the country. Set up on the Rihand Dam, it will operate as a hybrid hydro-solar plant, with hydroelectricity production in the evenings.

The floating solar power project will generate 150 MW power and will be completed in 21 months. The power generated by the plant will be purchased by UP Power Corp. under a power purchase agreement for next 25 years, at Rs 3.36 per unit.

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