NTPC commissions largest floating solar project in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd, has announced that it has commissioned the largest floating solar PV project of 25 MW on the reservoir of its Simhadri thermal station in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This is also the first solar project to be set up under the Flexibilisation Scheme, notified by the Government of India in 2018.
The floating solar installation which has a unique anchoring design is spread over 75 acres in an RW reservoir. This floating solar project has the potential to generate electricity from more than 1 lakh solar PV modules. This would not only help to light around 7,000 households but also ensure at least 46,000 tons of CO2 are kept at arm's length every year during the lifespan of this project. The project is also expected to save 1,364 million litres of water per annum. This would be adequate to meet the yearly water requirements of 6,700 households.
The 2000 MW coal-based Simhadri Station is the first power project to implement an open sea intake from the Bay of Bengal which has been functional for more than 20 years.
NTPC is also planning to set up a hydrogen-based micro-grid system on a pilot basis at Simhadri.
With a total installed capacity of 66900 MW, NTPC Group has 71 power stations comprising 29 renewable projects. NTPC has set a target to install 60 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2032.
