Friday, July 04, 2014: National Hydro Power Corp. (NHPC) and the Renewable Energy College (REC) of Kolkata have joined hands to come up with a 50-MW floating solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the state of Kerala, a project that is estimated to entail an investment of around $70 million. Once developed, the project would become the largest floating solar PV plant in the world.
NHPC plans to deploy the PV plant on one of many large water bodies in Kerala. Meanwhile, REC, already known for developing floating solar PV technology over the years will provide technical and construction assistance to NHPC on the project. Water-based plants hold a distinct advantage in times like these when prices for undeveloped land with good solar potential is rising rapidly. The former currently enjoy a much lower competition for potential sites in comparison. Furthermore, the technology used in case of Water-based plants is simpler and offers much greater yield.
Many developers believe claim that the floating solar PVs could be as much as 50 per cent more efficient than land-based solar plants.
