PFCL Floats Empanelment Tender for Metering Infrastructure Service Providers

Solarium Green Energy Receives BSE Nod for Initial Public Offering

Power Transmission Company Kalpataru Projects Raises ₹10 Billion in QIP

Himachal Regulator Approves Tariff for 900 MW Hybrid Power Projects

Daily News Wrap-Up: HPERC Allows DISCOM To Procure 550 MW Solar Power

MES Invites Bids for Maintenance of 1.7 MW Solar Project

Exploring Solar Open Access Potential in Odisha and Haryana

Karnataka Floats EPC Tender for 1.2 MW Solar Project

Himachal Regulator Allows DISCOM to Procure 550 MW Solar Power from SECI

Agri-Solar Solutions Provider GK Energy Files Papers for ₹5.01 Billion IPO

<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/amazon_polly_53804.mp3?version=1683875025">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><a href="https://www.blueleafenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blueleaf Energy</a> and <a href="http://sunasiaenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SunAsia Energy</a> have been awarded contracts by the Philippine government to construct and manage what is claimed to be the world’s largest floating solar project with a combined capacity of 610.5 MW.
The move is viewed as a milestone in the country’s energy sector with the issuance of Solar Energy Operating Contracts (SEOCs) by the Department of Energy (DOE) for a cumulative capacity of 1.3 GW in floating solar projects.
Blueleaf Energy and SunAsia Energy will collaborate on the construction of a sizable floating solar installation on Laguna Lake, which extends across the developing urban cities of Calamba, Sta. Rosa and Cabuyao, as well as the towns of Bay and Victoria.
At the contract turnover ceremonies, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla restated his commitment to enhancing the renewable energy sector and declared the DOE&#8217;s unwavering support for commercializing floating solar facilities as an emerging technology.
Blueleaf Energy CEO, Raghuram Natarajan, said that the Philippines holds great potential to add significant renewable energy capacity to its energy mix and, at the same time, deliver green energy at an affordable cost compared to fossil fuels.
Natarajan also noted that removing foreign ownership restrictions is an important step in attracting much-needed foreign direct investments in the Philippine renewable energy sector to accelerate the country&#8217;s energy transition to meet decarbonization and net-zero targets.
Emphasizing cooperation among public and private stakeholders to ensure the successful development of the project, Natarajan added that this project would contribute to the country&#8217;s renewable energy goals and spark green job growth locally during construction and long-term operations.
Blueleaf Energy has developed and built almost 2 GW of solar capacity globally, including 250 MW in the Philippines.
SunAsia Energy&#8217;s President and CEO, Tetchi Capellan, pointed out that there is a strong incentive to build floating solar projects on the water as land use is becoming a big issue for renewables.
SunAsia Energy has been operating a testbed on Laguna Lake since 2019, aiming to contribute to the growing knowledge of floating solar panels on the lake.
SunAsia Energy has partnered with various entities to develop solar projects since its inception in 2013, including the 60 MW Toledo solar project in Cebu and the 20 MW Dagupan solar project in Pangasinan.
In June 2022, the Philippines’ DOE <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/philippines-awards-renewables-under-green-energy-auction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awarded</a> 19 contracts to develop 1.57 GW of renewable energy projects under the first round of the 2 GW Green Energy Auction Program. The auction was held for solar, hydro, wind, and biomass projects in the country’s Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions.
Earlier in February, through its Green Energy Auction program, the department <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/philippines-launches-tender-renewables" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> an auction to allocate 2 GW of renewable energy capacity across its three main power territories.

Philippines Awards Contracts for 610 MW Floating Solar Project

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (<a href="https://seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SECI</a>) has once again extended the bid submission deadline for three projects in Telangana.
The deadlines have been extended for the 34 MW (AC) ground-based, 32 MW (AC) overburden dump based, and 15 MW (AC) floating solar power projects to be developed at the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (<a href="https://scclmines.com/scclnew/index.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SCCL</a>) in Telangana. SCCL is a coal mining company in India, jointly owned by the Telangana government and the central government.
As per the latest announcement, the bid submission for the 34 MW ground-based projects has been extended to June 12, 2020, and the deadline for the 32 MW (AC) OB dump-based projects has been extended to June 15, 2020. Similarly, the new deadline for the 15 MW (AC) floating solar projects has been set as June 17, 2020. SECI had earlier <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-bid-deadlines-solar-projects-singareni-collieries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extended</a> the deadline to May 13, 2020, from April 20, 2020, for the 34 MW (AC) ground-based projects, and the deadline for the 32 MW (AC) OB dump based was extended to May 15, 2020, from April 22, 2020. The nodal agency had also extended the deadline for bid submission for the 15 MW (AC) floating solar power projects to May 18, 2020, from May 04, 2020.
Previously, Mercom <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-tender-32-mw-solar-projects-singareni-collieries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that SECI invited bids for 32 MW of OB dump-based solar projects at SCCL. The projects are to be developed at two different sites, with 22 MW to be set up at the SCCL’s Ramagundam site, and 10 MW at the Dorli site.
In a separate tender, SECI <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-invites-bids-34-mw-solar-projects-singareni-collieries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">invited</a> bids for 34 MW of ground-based solar projects to be set up at two different sites. 11 MW is to be developed at the Chennur site of SCCL, and the remaining 23 MW capacity will be developed at the Kothagudam site of SCCL.
Meanwhile, the 15 MW floating solar tender includes <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-issues-tender-15-mw-floating-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">setting up</a> floating solar projects at two different sites – a 10 MW project at the STPP storage reservoir, and a 5 MW system at the Dorli site – on the SCCL premises.
Previously, Mercom had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-solar-epc-tender-100mw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that SECI had announced a tender for the development of 100 MW of solar power projects in Telangana.

Another Bidding Deadline Extension for 81 MW of Solar Projects in Telangana

Bengaluru-based Ciel Et Terre Solar Pvt. Ltd. (<a href="https://www.ciel-et-terre.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CTSP</a>), an Indian subsidiary of Ciel &amp; Terre, a French floating solar specialist, has announced its first 450 kW floating solar project installed at CIAL Golf course at the Cochin airport.
The project was implemented by Cochin Airport Authority Limited (<a href="http://cial.aero/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CIAL</a>), with Sterling Wilson as the engineering procurement construction (EPC) service provider. The project represents the first Hydrelio floating PV technology project installed in India.
According to the company statement, the company took less than two weeks to install the initial 100 kW demonstration floating solar project in May 2019 to a delegation that visited the airport as part of the International Solar Alliance. The Hydrelio system is the company’s first patented and industrialized water-based PV concept.
Deepak Ushadevi, the senior vice president at CTSP, said that there are a lot of challenges when it comes to floating solar projects.
Speaking to Mercom, he said, &#8220;The primary challenge is that the floating solar projects are for 25 years. The variation in the water level and the undercurrent of the water also pose challenges, especially when it comes to anchoring and moving the floating platforms.&#8221; According to Ushadevi, a proper study of the topography, good knowledge of engineering techniques, and bathymetric study would be able to solve some of the problems faced by the developers.
&#8220;Keeping the fundamental techniques intact, each site should have different designs depending on the topography of the area. There shouldn&#8217;t be a replication of the project,&#8221; he added.
Further, he said that the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/west-bengal-auctions-5-mw-floating-solar-pv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">next project</a> in the pipeline is the 5.4 MW floating project in West Bengal, which will be completed by the end of October or early November.
“Many milestones were achieved with this impeccable first project like four-in-a-row configuration was conceived to reduce the wind load on the island, floaters were produced locally from Aurangabad factory with our newly imported machines which emphasize our quality and symmetric design of this nature with indigenous vendor development for anchoring.
We developed a portable anchor-installation machine since heavy machinery was not allowed to avoid damage to the golf play lawn.” he noted.
Mercom <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ciel-et-terre-floating-solar-manufacturing-unit-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">had reported last year</a> that as part of its expansion plans in India, one of the most rapidly growing markets in the world, the company has partnered with a local blow moulder in Aurangabad, Maharashtra to start a 50 MW floating solar manufacturing unit.
Floating solar projects are gaining a lot of traction in the country in the face of increasing <a href="https://mercomindia.com/land-impediment-large-scale-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">land procurement issues</a>. For instance, recently, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) also <a href="https://mercomindia.com/bhel-invites-bidders-ntpc-25-mw-floating-solar-project-andhra-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a tender for the design and supply of a solar floatation platform of 25 MW capacity. The floating solar project will be installed at the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)’s site in Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh.
Image credit: Ciel Et Terre Solar Pvt. Ltd.

Ciel & Terre Installs its First Floating Solar Project in India at Cochin Airport

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has announced for the development of a 2.1 GW of floating solar power projects.
After its completion, the project will be 14 times larger than the world’s current largest floating solar project, a 150 MW project under construction in China’s Panji District.
The massive project will be installed atop the Saemangeum Seawall Dyke, the longest man-made dyke, situated on the southwest coast of the Korean Peninsula.
According to the translated version of the press release, the total investment for the floating solar power project is 4.6 trillion in local currency (~$3.9 billion). The project will be built in two stages. In the first stage, a target of 1.2 GW is expected to be completed by 2022, and the remaining 900 MW is slated to be completed in 2025.
The projects are expected to make a significant contribution to the country’s renewable energy plan aiming to secure 30.8 GW of solar by 2030.
As per the statement, the project will be able to supply electricity to about 1 million households.
The South Korean government maintains that the floating solar project will not only provide opportunities and vitality to the domestic renewable industry but will also speed up the efforts to meet the government’s 2030 renewable energy target.
Asia’s fourth-largest <a href="https://mercomindia.com/south-korea-35-renewable-capacity-2040/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">economy</a> aims for <a href="https://mercomindia.com/south-korea-35-renewable-capacity-2040/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">35% renewable energy</a> generation capacity by 2040. At present, renewable energy accounts for only 8% of South Korea’s energy generation.
Last year, Mercom reported that the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/south-korea-guidelines-solar-protected-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ministry of Environment</a> in South Korea issued guidelines for solar installations.
South Korea had earlier announced that it would build a 4 GW solar and wind energy complex on the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/south-korea-to-build-4-gw-solar-wind-complex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Saemangeum</a> reclaimed land area in Gunsan. The hybrid complex will be located along the west coast of South Korea’s Jeollabuk-do Province.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-south-korea-agreement-expansion-renewables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In July 2018</a>, the Korea Power Electric Corp. (KEPCO), a South Korean state-run utility, signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with India’s Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) for the expansion of renewable energy projects in both countries. The MoC was signed during a bilateral business forum held in New Delhi on the sidelines of the summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Image credit: SPG Solar [CC BY-SA <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3.0</a>]

floating-solar-project

Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.

RECENT POSTS