The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has tendered a 22 MW grid-connected floating solar photovoltaic (PV) project to be developed at Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) Kayamkulam in Kerala.

The bid-submission deadline is August 21, 2018.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of the grid-connected floating solar PV project.

The successful bidder will also provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for project and transmission system for a period of three years from the date of successful completion of trial run of the grid-connected floating solar PV project.

NTPC will finance the project through internal resources. This is an international tender under which engineering procurement construction (EPC) services are required by NTPC.

NTPC is a relatively new entrant into developing floating solar PV projects. Recently, the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board invited expression of interest (EoI) to set up floating solar power projects over reservoirs in Manvi, Sirguppa, and Ballari City.

Floating solar power projects are also favored in states where land availability for the development of utility-scale solar projects has been an issue. Of late, there have been numerous efforts across the states to utilize this concept of floating solar projects in order to build clean sustainable future.

Recently, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) increased the tender capacity for floating solar PV projects in the state of Uttar Pradesh from 100 MW to 150 MW. The solar projects will be developed on the Rihand Dam, also known as Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar Reservoir, located in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.

In December 2017, SECI invited an EoI from prospective project developers to set up 10 GW of floating solar PV projects in a phased manner over the next three years.

The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) successfully auctioned a 5 MW grid-connected floating solar PV project to be developed in the district of Murshidabad.

In April 2018, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) invited an EoI from prospective solar project developers to set up a 1 GW floating solar PV project on the Ujjani Dam Reservoir in the Solapur district of Maharashtra.

Last year, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) tendered a 3 MW floating solar project to be developed on the Meghadrigedda Reservoir in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

In November 2017, the Lakshadweep Energy Development Agency (LEDA) invited an EoI from contractors to develop 10 MW of floating solar projects in Lakshadweep.