In Context:

=> Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) is set to commission the state’s first two MW floating solar power plant in Darbhanga.

About the project:

=> The government has taken this initiative on an experimental basis.

• If the experiment is successful, the same work will be carried out at other places.

=> The Darbhanga power station plant is going to be the first-of-a-kind in Bihar which is being built over a pond.

=> The plant consists of 4,004 solar modules. Each module is installed in the pond and is capable of generating 505-megawatt peak (MWp) electricity.

• They will generate around 2 MW of green and clean energy.

=> It will generate 2.7 million units annually and will help in reducing 64,125 tonnes of CO2 in its lifecycle of 25 years,

=> The floating power plant will help meet two goals: Produce green energy from solar panels and promote fish farming.

What is Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV)?

=> The floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) system is an emerging technology in which a solar photovoltaic (PV) system is placed directly on top of a body of water, as opposed to on land or on building rooftops.

=> These installations open up new opportunities for scaling up solar generating capacity, especially in countries with high population density and competing uses for available land.

=> The technology is particularly promising for fast-growing Asian economies. Interest is growing rapidly in the region, and large plants are being installed or planned in China, India and Southeast Asia.

=> The world’s first floating solar plant was built in Japan, in Aichi Prefecture in central Honshu.

=> Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has successfully commissioned India’s largest Floating Solar PV plant.

• Located at NTPC Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh, the 25 MW floating SPV project covers an area of 100 acres.

Challenges:

=> Water surface conditions are much rougher (larger waves and higher winds)

=> Mooring and anchoring become even more critical amid large tidal movements and currents.

=> Salinity tests the durability of components

=> The accumulation of marine organisms on equipment (“biofouling”) can interfere with functionality.

=> The harsher near-shore environment imposes stringent requirements on floats, anchors, moorings, and components.

Conclusion:

=> Despite these challenges, floating solar offers significant opportunities for the global expansion of solar energy capacity.