Saturday, August 16, 2014: A contract has been bagged by India’s solar panel producer, Vikram Solar, and now they will build India’s first floating solar power plant on a lake in east India. A similar development is also present in Japan, but this new project will excel and become the largest in the world.
The company will try to complete the construction work by December and the plant is supposed to produce 15 KW electricity for the local grid. Built on a 1400 square foot (130 square meter) platform, the project will be set up on a lakebed, near to Kolkata’s New Town Eco Park. A spokesperson for West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency, S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, said, “Acquiring land for solar projects is a very big problem now. Water bodies are available in plenty.”
The floating solar project will cost Rs 2 million and 2 million more will be dedicated for research and development. The project has already attracted several private players too. India, which is leading in such large-scale renewable energy projects, has several ambitious projects too which would bring a revolution in the country’s energy development history. It was promised by the new government that solar generated electricity will be provided to every household in India. India is also confident about the close energy relationship with the U.K., following a visit by UK secretary of state for energy and climate change Ed Davey to New Delhi, earlier this month.
