ILIOS Power, a Telangana-based solar project developer, has won an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) and operation and maintenance (O&M) contract from Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) for 6.9 MW floating solar power projects in Kerala.

The company quoted ₹486 million (~$5.9 million) for the EPC and O&M works. The total contract price, including GST, will be ₹554 million (~$6.7 million).

The projects will be developed in the rainwater harvesting pond and shore tank farm in the Kochi refinery of BPCL. According to ILIOS, this is one of India’s first floating solar projects on the seashore in salty waters.

This will be ILIOS’s second floating project. The company commissioned a 6.5 MW project for Singareni Collieries in January 2023.

The scope of work includes design, engineering, supply, installation, commissioning, and O&M of the project for five years.

The entire work is to be completed within six months, beginning June 15, 2023.

Earlier in November, BPCL had issued a tender to hire consultancy services for setting up this floating solar power project.

The initial installation would include a solar power project with around 3.2 MWac/4.6 MWdc capacity. This system would be in a rainwater harvesting pond within the Kochi Refinery. The power generated from this project was to be evacuated through the internal electrical grid of Kochi Refinery for internal consumption without export to the external grid.

Additionally, there will be another floating solar project with a capacity of approximately 3.7 MWac/5.2 MWdc. This project will be set up in the shore tank farm area of the Kochi Refinery. The electricity generated by this system would be consumed on-site, and the excess energy would be banked with the Kerala State Electricity Board.

The tender was issued under BPCL’s Purchase Preference Policy, linked with local content. It mandates that at least 50% of all project materials be manufactured in India, promoting indigenous manufacturing and boosting the local economy.

BPCL has already conducted a study at these locations to assess the feasibility of installing floating solar projects in these water bodies.

BPCL had also invited bids for the engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of a 6 MW solar project at its refinery in Kochi, Kerala.

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