INDIA'S LARGEST FLOATING SOLAR PLANT

Context

Key Points

• The 100-megawatt (MW) floating solar power photovoltaic project, was commissioned by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) on July 1.
• The raising the total floating solar capacity in commercial operation in the southern region to 217 MW, according to the NTPC.
• The NTPC has set a target of 60 GW capacity through renewable energy sources, Constituting nearly 45 per cent of its overall power generation capacity by 2032.
• The Ramagundam plant spread over 500 acres is built for Rs 423 crore through a contract with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

Solar plant

• Solar plants can be either ground-mounted or set up on the surface of water bodies.
• Though these floating farms are a bit more expensive and advantageous as well.
• They do not require land to be acquired for the installation of photovoltaic panels.
• They are more efficient as the presence of water underneath helps them keep cool.
• They also reduce water evaporation, thereby saving more water for hydropower generation.
• At Ramagundam, the solar modules are placed across 500 acres on floaters manufactured with high-density polyethene material that keeps floating irrespective of water-level fluctuations.
• The spread is divided into 40 blocks, each with a capacity of 2.5 MW, an array of 11, 200 solar modules and a floating platform with various components.
• This project is unique because all electrical equipment is set up on floating Ferro--cement platforms.

Environment-Friendly

• Solar panels floating on the water surface will reduce the evaporation rate and thereby help water conservation.
• With a minimum land requirement mostly for associated evacuation arrangements, available land can be put to better use unlike in the case of ground-mounted solar farms.
• At Ramagundam, approximately 32.5 lakh cubic meters per year of water evaporation can be prevented.
• The waterbody underneath the solar modules helps in maintaining their ambient temperature, thereby improving their efficiency and generation.
• Coal consumption of 1, 65, 000 tonnes can be avoided per year; carbon dioxide emissions of 2, 10, 000 tons per year can be prevented, according to the NTPC.