126 MW Floating Solar Power Plant Online In India

A subsidiary of The Tata Power Company Limited, Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has commissioned one of India’s largest floating solar power projects with 126 MW in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. It can generate 204,580 MWh of clean energy annually to be supplied to the Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL).  

The Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project hosts the world’s ‘largest’ inverter floating platform as it covers 260 hectares of water body area. It is equipped with 213,460 bifacial glass-to-glass modules, robust mooring systems, wave breakers, ballast anchors, and adaptive cableways, according to the company.  

Contracted by India’s state-owned hydropower utility NHDC Limited, TPREL installed the project between the Indirasagar and Omkareshwar hydroelectric reservoirs within 26 months. It was built for an investment worth INR 5.96 billion (see Tata Power To Build 125 MW DC Floating PV Plant).  

TPREL said the project conserves an estimated 32.5 million cubic meters of water annually by minimizing reservoir evaporation.   

Both the companies see the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project as a blueprint for the future installations of this kind saying it establishes an ‘international standard’ for floating solar technology.  

“By partnering with Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited on this project, we have demonstrated that floating solar technology can provide clean energy while preserving vital water resources. We are excited about the potential this project holds for future renewable energy developments in India,” said NHDC Managing Director Rajeev Jain.