Floating Solar Projects Gain Traction Worldwide

World’s Largest Floating Solar Projects

Already many floating solar projects exist across the world. Owing to lack of large masses of land required for ground-mounted solar projects, Floating solar panel technology is gradually gaining traction worldwide. Another advantage of building these plants is their low ROI. There are many benefits of using floating solar plants as it is eco-friendly, frees up land in populated cities, reduces water evaporation from water bodies and also minimizes the risk of solar cell performance atrophy.

Here is a list of existing large Floating Solar Projects around the globe:

• Jamestown – South Australia
• Yamakura Dam – Japan
• Walton-on-Thames’ Queen Elizabeth II reservoir – UK
• Balbina hydroelectric plant – Brazil
• India’s Floating Solar Panels – Kerala

If you wish to learn about them in detail, please click here.

China which is the world’s leading solar power country has also built a giant 40 MW solar farm on the top of a water reservoir. Leading Chinese solar inverter maker Sungrow is planning to build a large floating power plant of 150 MW size on top of a water body. If this project is successful, the Chinese will have developed a new business model to export to other countries. Sungrow and Chinese firm CECEC are also planning to construct 150MW and 70MW projects respectively in China.

Another leading Chinese solar company, Hanwha also won a bid to construct a 100 MW floating solar plant in South Korea. Once completed, the Seokmun Lake floating solar farm was expected to become the largest operational floating solar farm in the world, till the announcement of another 200MW floating solar project in Indonesia. UAE’s Masdar along with Indonesian power company has signed an agreement to develop the world’s largest floating solar project in Indonesia.

India’s Lakshadweep Islands is also planning development of floating solar plants on the islands. The project size is estimated at 10 MW but will increase later.

The Dubai Electricity Water Authority has also awarded a contract to install solar PV systems at DEWA water reservoirs. The company estimates that the total installed capacity of solar PV systems on water reservoir could reach up to 60MW. The Middle East has ample opportunity for floating solar projects for powering areas with limited land. Dubai aims to provide 75% of its total output from clean sources by 2050, 25% by 2030 and 7% by 2020.