Two large floating solar projects by next year in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala

Two floating solar projects with the capacity of 10 MW each are coming up in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala to harness unutilised water bodies.

"Two 10 MW floating solar projects, which will be the largest so far in the country, will come up in Andra Pradesh and Kerala. We are carrying out the design," leading renewable energy expert and head of Arka Renewable Energy College, S P Gon Chaudhury told PTI.

"The Andra Pradesh project is expected to be commissioned new year. Location for the Kerala project is yet to be firmed up," he said.

So far a 100 KW plant is the largest in the floating solar executed by the NTPC in Kerala.

In the renewable energy space solar has gained momentum, but realising constraints in getting adequate land floating solar projects are receiving focus now.

He said the project cost for each one was about Rs 70 crore and was funded by the World Bank and would be executed by either respective state governments or The Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI).

The SECI had earlier announced that it had planned to develop floating solar projects along with hybrid solar plus wind schemes with a combined capacity of 325 MW.

Chaudhury said currently floating plants were being developed on still water but to harness floating solar projects capability projects were being considered on sea water.

He said, in Lakshadweep, a 100 KW project is been conceptualised but to cope with the sea waves planning was being done to keep them stable to get maximum sun energy.

Though the Andhra Pradesh and Kerala floating solar projects will be the largest the first floating solar project was executed in West Bengal in 2014 at Rajarhat.