India's largest floating solar power project now fully functional

Telangana : India's largest floating Solar Power Project is now fully functional NTPC declared Commercial Operation of the final part capacity of 20 MW out of 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana with effect from 00:00 hours of July 01, 2022.

With this, the total commercial operation of Floating Solar Capacity in the Southern Region rose to 217 MW.

According to an official press release, the 100-MW Floating Solar project at Ramagundam is endowed with advanced technology as well as environment-friendly features, constructed with financial implication of Rs. 423 crores through M/s BHEL as EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract, the project spreads over 500 acres of its reservoir. Divided into 40 blocks, each having 2.5 MW.  Each block consists of one floating platform and an array of 11,200 solar modules. The floating platform consists of one Inverter, Transformer, and a HT breaker. The solar modules are placed on floaters manufactured with HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) material. 

The complete floating system has been anchored through special HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene) rope to the dead weights placed in the balancing reservoir bed.

It has also been claimed that there has been no harm to the environment as no land has been utilized to position the solar panels. Further, with the presence of floating solar panels, the evaporation rate from water bodies is reduced, thus helping in water conservation.