A floating solar photovoltaic power project of 5 kWp (kilowatt peak) is getting ready at the Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Project of NTPC, Kayamkulam. The pilot project is being set up in the waterbody on the premises of the gas-based power plant.
Another solar project of 5 kWp capacity is being set up on land, which will be commissioned along with the floating solar energy project, with a view to making a comparative study between the two. The project is in its final stages and is likely to be commissioned within a fortnight.
The NTPC unit at Choolatheruvu, Kayamkulam, has already installed a rooftop solar photovoltaic power project of 84 kWp. Another rooftop solar project of 84 kWp is under construction.
The solar panels for the floating energy project are mounted on floaters, developed by the NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), the research wing of the public sector company, in association with the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET). The floaters are made of non-corrosive material. The panels have been manufactured at Radiant Solar Company at Fabcity, Hyderabad.
Studies have revealed that floating solar panels provide higher output due to lower ambient temperature prevailing on the surface of the waterbody. The solar panels set up on the waterbody will be advantageous as it will limit the scope for evaporation from the waterbody, apart from generating green energy. The cost of the pilot project is estimated at Rs.13 lakh.
Once the floating solar photovoltaic project is found successful, the project could be extended to more areas at the NTPC site, setting a model for replication in various waterbodies within and outside the State.
The NTPC power plant at Kayamkulam has 1,165 acres of land including waterbodies. About 200 acres of low-lying areas had been filled up for setting up the plant initially.
