India’s largest floating 100-MW solar power plant is in Telangana.

NTPC declared commercial operation of the final part capacity of 20 MW out of 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana with effect from July 1, just as the country’s largest floating solar power project became fully operational.

The commercial operation of a 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam means that the total floating solar capacity in the Southern Region has now increased to 217 MW. Additionally, NTPC has declared commercial operation of 92 MW Floating Solar at Kayamkulam (Kerala) and 25 MW Floating Solar at Simhadri (Andhra Pradesh).

The 100-MW floating solar project at Ramagundam was constructed with a financial implication of R. 423 crore and it spreads over 500 acres of its reservoir. It is endowed with advanced technology as well as environment-friendly features, as per an official release. An official release stated that the presence of floating solar panels reduces the evaporation rate from water bodies, thus helping in water conservation.

Approximately 32.5 lakh cubic meters per year of water evaporation can be avoided by solar modules. The water body underneath the solar modules helps in maintaining their ambient temperature, thereby improving their efficiency and generation. It added that while 1,65,000 tons of coal consumption can be avoided per year. In other words, 2,10,000 tons of Co2 emissions can be avoided per year.

A company statement said that Tata Power Solar Systems commissioned India’s largest floating solar power project of 101.6 Megawatt Peak (MWp) last week. The project is installed on a 350-acre water body in Kayamkulam, Kerala. Despite the arduous challenges of variable water depths, high sea tides, and severe water salinity concerns, the installation was completed within the stipulated period, they stated.

The company said that this project is the first in the Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) through power purchase agreement category. Tata Power CEO and MD Praveer Sinha said that “the commissioning of India’s first and largest floating solar project is an innovative and incremental step toward meeting India’s sustainable energy goals”

The Kerela State Electricity Board (KSEB) has signed a power purchase agreement with a PSU client, wherein the entire power generated from this plant will be used by Kerela State Electricity Board (KSEB). Interestingly, all the solar modules used in this plant were safely transported, unloaded, and stored on a limited parcel of land for about 35 days by Tata Power Solar.