State-run, NTPC has started operations at India’s largest floating solar PV project at its Simhadri thermal station in Visakhapatnam. This makes Andhra Pradesh home to India’s largest floating solar power plant. It was opened for commercial operations from 10:00 Hrs. of 21.08.2021.
Because of its inherent advantages over on-land projects, which need large continuous stretches of non-farming, non-forest land, floating solar power projects are considered a gamechanger in India’s ambition to create 450 GW (gigawatts) of renewable energy capacity.
The cooling effect of water minimizes temperature-related losses, reducing evaporation rate of water bodies, and thus lowering maintenance costs.
NTPC‘s floating solar installation spans over 75 acres of the Simhadri reservoir’s area. It will generate enough electricity to power 7,000 homes using more than a lakh solar PV modules.
The initiative will save 46,000 tonnes of CO2 and 1,364 million litres of water each year, enough to cover the needs of 6,700 homes for a whole year.
The Simhadri Station is now also the first of its kind to be equipped with an open-sea intake from the Bay of Bengal, which has been functional for more than 20 years.
The floating solar facility is part of the coal-burning giant NTPC’s aim to become green by 2032.
Reference- Live Mint, Press Information Bureau, Economic Times, Network18