More Solar Power to Kerala!!

India’s Largest Floating Solar Plant Opens in Kerala

India’s largest floating solar plant opened in all its might in December this year. The 500 kW plant is a mega solar project commissioned by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The project is a scaled up version of the 10 kW floating solar project which was inaugurated in Banasura Sagar reservoir in 2016. The plant is expected to generate 7.5 lakh units of power annually, which will be fed to the KSEB grid. Underwater cables will be used for this transmission.

The whole project was completed at a total cost of INR 9.25 crore. Not only was the project completed at a relatively low cost but was also closed way ahead of its stipulated time. The floating solar project stretches over 6,000 square metres. The base of these floating units is made up of Ferro cement floaters which are hollow from the inside. A total of 18 floating platforms fitted with 1,938 solar panels have been installed. High-efficiency solar panels have been used for the project.

A 500 KVA transformer, 17 inverters, a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and an anchoring system are other parts of the floating solar project.

Many countries worldwide have started using floating solar plants because of their higher efficiency and better output when compared to ground-mounted solar plants. The high efficiency is because of lower panel temperature due to the moderating effect of water bodies and lower dust accumulation on the panels.

Kerala receives high solar radiation all through the year. However, the state just produces one-third of its power requirement procuring the majority balance from other states. The solar floating plant will thus be helpful in generating more power for the state.

The Kerala Floating solar plant is the largest floating solar project in India currently. The other large floating project is Balbina hydroelectric plant in Brazil with plant capacity of 350 MW. You can read more about the World’s Largest Floating Solar Power Projects here.

Though the floating solar plants or “floatovolataics” are getting more popular in India owing to land paucity, they do involve a higher maintenance and installation cost. The transmission costs are also high. However, they are regarded as a better alternative to land because they can be built on industrial water bodies like wastewater treatment plants, cooling facilities in factories and power plants etc. They also help in keeping the water safe from algae growth and evaporation by covering the surface of the water body. Other countries like Australia, US, UK, and Japan have also adopted this technology.