Floating Solar

India will require large swaths of land for the huge expansion of renewable energy capacity over the coming decades. The energy transition requires planning for proper siting of these plants and solutions like agrivoltaics, distributed energy systems, and offshore wind to reduce land-use conflicts.

Developers have until September 30 to lodge their interest to install grid-connected floating solar plants on the water reservoir surface at Salaulim, Amthanem, Anjunem, and Chapoli Dams in the Indian State of Goa. Their scope of work also includes assessing the floating solar potential at each of these locations.

The state-run energy company has commissioned a 25 MW plant on the reservoir at its Simhadri thermal power station, in Andhra Pradesh. The installation features more than 100,000 solar modules.

The grid-connected floating solar project shall come at Rengali reservoir in the Angul district of Odisha. Bidding closes on October 7.

If built, the project would be the world’s largest floating PV power plant and would reach the same capacity as the largest ground-mounted facility currently in operation.

There’s talking the talk, there’s walking the walk, and then there’s walking the walk on water. Earlier this year at US President Joe Biden’s Virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the city-state would need to “innovate and use technology extensively” to overcome its resource scarcity. With one of the world’s largest floating PV arrays now in operation, it seems as if Singapore is floating in the right direction.

The energy company says it will use hybrid-technology projects, round-the-clock renewables, battery storage, floating solar and green hydrogen as it attempts to wind down the 69% of its energy generation fleet based on thermal power.

Bidders have until August 5 to lodge their interest in engineering, procurement, and construction of the 50 MW grid-interactive floating solar capacity in the Kollam district. The successful bidder shall also provide comprehensive operation and maintenance of the plant for ten years.

Floating PV is a growing market, especially in Asian countries with land pressures. However, like many promising niches, it is growing faster than the standards surrounding it. With installed floating PV capacity set to double in 2021, a raft of various and sometimes competing standards are being floated, but the question remains – what is truly the best way forward?

The floating solar plant is located in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. It is built upon a raw water pond of the Sagardighi thermal power project owned by The West Bengal Power Development Corp. Ltd (WBPDCL).