NTPC to dabble in DVC’s reservoirs for setting up floating solar power projects

• NTPC Limited is increasingly looking at utilising reservoirs within the company and its subsidiaries and on the outside for setting up floating solar power projects

• Floating solar power plants are fast emerging as an alternative to conventional ground mounted PV systems in India because the latter requires land availability and acquisition

New Delhi: In line with its plan to diversify into renewable energy segment, India's thermal power utility NTPC Limited is increasingly looking at utilising reservoirs within the company and its subsidiaries and on the outside for setting up floating solar power projects. Taking another step in that direction, NTPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on Friday for setting up floating solar power projects on its reservoirs. The news was shared by NTPC on Twitter, "MOU signed between DVC and NTPC Renewable Energy Limited today, for setting up of #FloatingSolar PV park & projects in the #reservoirs under the command area of DVC in #Jharkhand and #WestBengal. These projects can be under the UMREPP and CPSU schemes of @mnreindia. @MinOfPower"

The news comes just days after NTPC's southern region executive director CV Anand that the Maharatna company is expecting to commission India's largest floating solar power plant of 100 MW capacity at Ramagundam in May this year. 

Floating solar power plants less expensive than ground-mounted ones

Explaining the rationale behind exploring possibilities for the development of floating solar power plants, Anand had said, "NTPC is utilising the water bodies and huge reservoirs to set up these floating solar units, because it requires huge expenditure for ground-mounted plant. For setting up one MW solar photo-voltaic plant on ground, we require five acres." 

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Floating solar power plants are fast emerging as an alternative to conventional ground mounted PV systems in India because the latter requires land availability and acquisition. It has various benefits like conserving water through reduction of evaporation, increased generation due to cooling effect on the panels, reduced installation time and could be installed on saline water environment. The installation potential of such type of systems in India is huge because of abundance of water bodies. Within NTPC, the potential is approximately 800 MWp in various reservoirs in existing stations.

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