India’s largest floating PV plant goes online

From pv magazine India

Tata Power Solar has commissioned India’s largest floating solar power project in Kayamkulam, Kerala.

The 101.6 MWp project was installed on a 350-acre body of water in Kerala. It is India’s first floating solar plant to benefit from a power purchase agreement. It will supply the power to Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

“This installation was completed within the scheduled timeline, despite the arduous challenges of variable water depths, high sea tides, and severe water salinity concerns faced throughout the project’s construction duration,” Tata Power said.

The plant includes a 5 MW inverter on a floating platform. The system is anchored with 134 cast pile foundations, bored to a depth of 20 meters underwater. 

The array had to be towed for 3 km on a sea-linked national waterway, which was 15 meters deep. The company then synchronized the 33/220 kV air-insulated substation with the existing 220 kV gas-insulated substation.

Separately, NTPC recently commissioned its 92 MW Kayamkulam floating solar project in Kerala. The array spans a number of reservoirs owned by NTPC’s Rajiv Gandhi Gas-based Power Station. NTPC switched on the initial 22 MW phase in March and the second 35 MW phase in May.