Floating Solar Power Plant project begins in Visakhapatnam

Floating Solar Power Plant in Visakhapatnam: The much-awaited floating solar power plant project in Visakhapatnam would soon turn out to be a reality. The project, which is planned at the Mudasarlova reservoir in the city, had its works begun from Monday. While the authorities have already installed the floating bases/boards in the reservoir, the solar panels are expected to be installed by the end of May.

The Mudasarlova reservoir, located in Hanumanthawaka which is bestowing around 1 million gallons of water per day, will also be a bedrock for the floating power plant. The project is an adjunct of the Vizag smart city projects of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).

“We have started to set up the floating bases and solar plants are likely to be placed by the end of this month. The bases will have bed-like structure at the bottom so that when the water dries up, the panels will not get damaged. It may take two months for the completion of the project,” a GVMC source told The New Indian Express.

Floating solar panels are now gaining a lot of popularity across the world. Their advanced technology is helping the world look at renewable energy in a new light. These solar panels can be deployed in cities to save land space and utilise water bodies such as lakes or reservoirs which they can shade the water thus reducing evaporation.

The solar panels will be mounted on top of the floaters which will hover on the water. They are deemed to have higher efficiency over the ground installed panels due to the cooler temperature of the water, thus providing better performance.