New Delhi: India's largest floating solar power project is now fully operational. 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 on July 1, 2022.

With the operationalisation of the 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, total commercial operation of floating solar capacity in the Southern Region rose to 217 MW. Earlier, NTPC declared commercial operation of 92 MW Floating Solar at Kayamkulam, Kerala and 25 MW floating solar at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh.

The 100-MW Floating Solar project at Ramagundam is endowed with advanced technology as well as environment friendly features. The floating platform consists of one inverter, transformer, and a HT breaker. The solar modules are placed on floaters manufactured with high density polyethylene material.

From the environment point of view, the most obvious advantage is minimum land requirement mostly for associated evacuation arrangements. Further, with the presence of floating solar panels, the evaporation rate from water bodies is reduced, thus helping in water conservation. Approximately 32.5 lakh cubic meters per year of water evaporation can be avoided. /BI/