CIEL & TERRE INDIA COMPLETES 73.4 MWp OF INDIA’S LARGEST FLOATING SOLAR PLANT – EQ Mag Pro
Ciel & Terre India, the subsidiary of French floating solar pioneer Ciel & Terre International completed the plant engineering, supply, and installation of floats, anchoring and mooring system and the installation of 73.4 MWp floating solar plant at National Thermal Power Corporation, Kayamkulam, Kerala.
Ciel & Terre India has achieved a world record installation of 73.4 MWp in 70 days – the fastest ever in floating solar history worldwide. This is also India’s first floating solar plant installed in brackish back waters. The Developer was NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation), and turnkey EPC was the renewable energy arm of TATA group – TATA Power Solar.
1,69,641 number of ‘Made in India’ Hydrelio® aiR 1280 floats were mounted with 1,47,042 number of 490/495 Wp TRINA make PV panels in 4 in a row configuration. 10 numbers of 5 MW Central invertors were used. The anchoring installation was completed in a record 80 days.
20 floating solar islands are spread over an area of 129 acres, covering 52.6% of the total waterbody. The power generated will be supplied to grid and power over 100,000 homes. The plant will reduce 9,26,71,427 tons of CO2 emissions.
The patented Hydrelio® floats were manufactured and delivered in a record 5 months’ timeline, despite the COVID crisis. As part of Ciel & Terre India’s contribution towards the ‘Make in India, made in India’ mission the floats were locally manufactured in their on-site manufacturing unit having an annual production capacity of 300 MW.
“This project is unique on its own as it is installed on salty backwaters of the Arabian sea. Our thorough R&D has enabled our floats to be sustainable in harsh, humid, and saline water conditions.
We established our manufacturing unit near the project site in record 5 months’ time, up and running, and this strategic placing of the manufacturing plant has accelerated project deliverables, ease of logistics, and saved huge amount from transportation, and those benefits passed on to the customer. Also, despite the COVID crisis and extreme weather conditions / heavy rain & wind, we managed to complete the project in a record time. Assessing, Adapting and momentum building was the key for our success.
A sense of purpose is a critical asset especially during the times of disruption & uncertainty during the lock down, covid19, raw material shortage, commodity inflation etc.
Our efforts were productive since passion and perseverance made this project viable. As we leaped from fixed mindset to growth mindset during all challenges, we strategized and streamlined our installation process accordingly, which helped us in completing the project with a record timeline. Site specifications were fully validated to the core of design suites to negate those challenges since high humidity & saline conditions were prone to corrosions.
We hope this project strategies will change the current outlook of the industry on floating PV and encourage them in trusting that floating solar is a more sustainable, viable and easier alternative when compared to other conventional renewable energy sources. Floating solar is influencing the economic/ environmental/ social section better than other conventional renewable energy models.” says Mr. Deepak Ushadevi, MD & CEO, Ciel & Terre India.
Earlier, Ciel & Terre India had commissioned 3 unique floating solar projects in Kerala, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu with capacities of 452 kWp, 5.4 MWp and 14.7 MWp, respectively. Over the last 4 years, Ciel & Terre India has added 6 projects under its portfolio with a cumulative capacity of 115+ MWp, omitting over 12,94,00,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
With a decade-long experience, intensive R&D, sustainable approach and the promising Hydrelio®, Ciel & Terre is leading the Indian floating solar revolution.
