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Floatavoltaics - or floating power plants - are the buzzword in the energy sector this month
Photovoltaic is a word we can't escape when we talk about solar energy. However, what's making a buzz in the energy spectrum in April 2023 is floatavoltaic - solar panels or photovoltaics mounted on a structure that floats on a body of water.
In line with this fairly nascent technology comes the Union Ministry of Power's statement on March 3 mandating all new thermal power plants, starting commercial operations after April 1, 2023, to ensure that 40 percent of their total power production comes from renewable energy.
Being touted as the next big thing in the renewable energy world, the encomiums for floatavoltaic come from none other than Nature, the British weekly scientific, peer-reviewed research in its March 2023 edition. Floating solar panels placed on reservoirs around the world could generate enough energy to power thousands of cities, the science weekly stated. Incidentally, India stands fourth globally in Solar Power capacity (as per REN21 Renewables 2022 Global Status Report) and floating solar power plants are what the country is titled towards, and for a good reason.
Energy giants are scrambling towards solar power. Three days ago, on April 2, Mohali-based Hartek Group announced starting work on a 22 MW floating solar PV power project on Nangal Pond in Himachal Pradesh. This January, Madhya Pradesh announced its ambitious plan of starting three new floating solar projects worth Rs 7,500 Cr investment, including the world’s largest floating solar power plant over the Omkareshwar Dam in Khandwa. The ₹3000 crore project is expected to generate 600 MW power by 2022-23.
Last year, NTPC Ramagundam made the world sit up when it announced that its floating plant was fully operational. The Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana, has a total capacity of 100 MW. On July 1, 2022, NTPC certified the project's last 20 MW of capacity to be commercially operational. Are floating solar projects the power plants of the future? Or is it just the initial euphoria of heliophiles?
Floating solar power plants feature solar panels placed typically on a reservoir or a lake or any water body. It's a no-brainer why the floatavoltaic is the first love of solar energy experts. This floating technology powered by water's buoyancy is capable of creating power and conserving water without the need to procure land. The Indian law states that all rivers and streams are public property and the governments yield power over it. That's half the battle won for energy generators.
Due to the presence of floating solar panels, the evaporation rate from water bodies is reduced. About 32.5 lakh cubic meters per year of water evaporation can be avoided. "The water body underneath the solar modules helps in maintaining their ambient temperature, thereby improving their efficiency and generation. Similarly, while coal consumption of 1,65,000 tons can be avoided per year; Co2 emission of 2,10,000 tons per year can be avoided," the PSU informed.
The solar modules are placed on floaters manufactured with HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) material. The system is anchored through HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene) ropes to the dead weights placed in the balancing reservoir bed. The power is transmitted to the existing switch yard through underground cables. The electrical equipment including inverter, transformer and the panels are also on floating ferro cement platforms. The plant is anchored using dead-weight concrete blocks.
India aims to touch Net Zero Emissions by 2070 besides increasing renewables capacity to 500 GW by 2030, meeting 50% of energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030. It's time power generators renew their 'hello to Helios' vows. The future is solar.
In line with this fairly nascent technology comes the Union Ministry of Power's statement on March 3 mandating all new thermal power plants, starting commercial operations after April 1, 2023, to ensure that 40 percent of their total power production comes from renewable energy.
Being touted as the next big thing in the renewable energy world, the encomiums for floatavoltaic come from none other than Nature, the British weekly scientific, peer-reviewed research in its March 2023 edition. Floating solar panels placed on reservoirs around the world could generate enough energy to power thousands of cities, the science weekly stated. Incidentally, India stands fourth globally in Solar Power capacity (as per REN21 Renewables 2022 Global Status Report) and floating solar power plants are what the country is titled towards, and for a good reason.
Energy giants are scrambling towards solar power. Three days ago, on April 2, Mohali-based Hartek Group announced starting work on a 22 MW floating solar PV power project on Nangal Pond in Himachal Pradesh. This January, Madhya Pradesh announced its ambitious plan of starting three new floating solar projects worth Rs 7,500 Cr investment, including the world’s largest floating solar power plant over the Omkareshwar Dam in Khandwa. The ₹3000 crore project is expected to generate 600 MW power by 2022-23.
Last year, NTPC Ramagundam made the world sit up when it announced that its floating plant was fully operational. The Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana, has a total capacity of 100 MW. On July 1, 2022, NTPC certified the project's last 20 MW of capacity to be commercially operational. Are floating solar projects the power plants of the future? Or is it just the initial euphoria of heliophiles?
Floating solar power plants feature solar panels placed typically on a reservoir or a lake or any water body. It's a no-brainer why the floatavoltaic is the first love of solar energy experts. This floating technology powered by water's buoyancy is capable of creating power and conserving water without the need to procure land. The Indian law states that all rivers and streams are public property and the governments yield power over it. That's half the battle won for energy generators.
Due to the presence of floating solar panels, the evaporation rate from water bodies is reduced. About 32.5 lakh cubic meters per year of water evaporation can be avoided. "The water body underneath the solar modules helps in maintaining their ambient temperature, thereby improving their efficiency and generation. Similarly, while coal consumption of 1,65,000 tons can be avoided per year; Co2 emission of 2,10,000 tons per year can be avoided," the PSU informed.
The solar modules are placed on floaters manufactured with HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) material. The system is anchored through HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene) ropes to the dead weights placed in the balancing reservoir bed. The power is transmitted to the existing switch yard through underground cables. The electrical equipment including inverter, transformer and the panels are also on floating ferro cement platforms. The plant is anchored using dead-weight concrete blocks.
India aims to touch Net Zero Emissions by 2070 besides increasing renewables capacity to 500 GW by 2030, meeting 50% of energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030. It's time power generators renew their 'hello to Helios' vows. The future is solar.
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