Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), which has set an example by harnessing the solar power over the last two years, is now planning to set up a 15 MW floating solar power project with about Rs 100 crore on the Meghadrigedda reservoir.
It will take advantage of the Visakhapatnam Smart City project to execute the 15 MW project.
The 15 MW project, which is called the largest floating solar power project in India, takes the floating solar power capacity of the GVMC to 20 MW. Moreover, a 3 MW project is also being undertaken at the Meghadrigedda reservoir and a 2 MW solar project at Mudasarlova has already been launched.
The GVMC has given a special emphasis, over the last two years, to alternative energy projects to combat greenhouse gas emissions, reduce its collective dependence on fossil fuels and make Visakhapatnam an energy efficient city, GVMC commissioner M Hari Narayanan said on Wednesday.
Narayanan said that GVMC has lined up several renewable energy projects with a vision to meet GVMC’s 100% electricity needs through alternative sources. “The total solar power capacity of GVMC will be 24 MW, including the 20 MW floating solar plants. We have been planning to raise funds for the 15 MW project through a loan,” said the civic chief.
According to experts, the floating solar power plant helps in better power generation as the solar panels are mounted on floating boards on the water surface, which provides a cooling effect. Besides being environment-friendly, the floating solar projects reduce the demand for land and make use of the unutilised surface area of the reservoir. The solar panels will also help in reducing the water evaporation from the reservoir to some extent.
The 2 MW floating solar project, which was set up with about Rs 13.4 crore on Mudasarlova, will alone save about Rs 2.3 crore on the electricity bills for the municipal corporation. The GVMC has installed solar rooftops with Rs 3 crore in 144 municipal schools. About 22 GVMC buildings are also part of the GVMC’s solar power grid.
The pole-like structures, which were erected in the parking area of the GVMC main office in Ramnagar to mount the solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems, gave a new look to the GVMC commissionerate.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
