NHPC is in talks with Telangana Government’s Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited for a joint venture which might develop an aggregate 500 MW of floating solar power projects in the state
Central government’s NHPC is mulling 500 MW of floating solar projects in the state of Telangana. These if approved will be developed under the Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks Scheme that runs under the umbrella of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The projects, if commissioned, will be developed at the reservoir of Mid Manair Dam located in Karim Nagar district. NHPC might sign a memorandum of understanding with the Telangana government soon.
It is to be noted here that the NHPC has recently signed an agreement with Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Limited subsidiary. As per the agreement, NHPC, will be setting up 500 MW of floating PV project capacity in the state of Odisha.
The former is also in the process of developing a floating solar power project in the state of Kerala. A 50 MW project, the approval of the same was given to NHPC by the Kerala State Electricity Board under the UMREPP Scheme of MNRE. NHPC had issued the tender for the same in June 2020.
A study by sustainability thinktank ‘The Energy and Resources Institute’ (TERI) had recently pointed out that India’s water reservoirs have 18,000 sq. km of area with the potential to host 280 GW of floating solar power generation capacity.