Odisha: Floating solar projects to be built on reservoirs, six sites selected
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government is rapidly working on a plan to generate solar power using water surfaces of reservoirs to promote renewable energy in the state. Under this, preparations have been started to set up floating solar projects in the state. In the initial phase, the government has identified six major reservoirs for potential projects. Plans are being made to finalize two of these reservoirs and establish a solar power project there.
Under the floating solar project, solar panels are installed on the surface of the reservoirs, due to which the requirement of land is reduced and a large part of the water can be used for energy production. The government aims to increase clean energy production as well as make better use of available water resources.
The six reservoirs selected by the state government include Harbhangi Reservoir in Gajapati district, Sorda Reservoir in Ganjam district, Ramiyal Reservoir in Dhenkanal district, Derjung Reservoir in Angul district, Jharbandha Reservoir in Bargarh district and Gohira Reservoir in Deogarh district.
According to the Office of the Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department, detailed inspection of all these possible sites will be conducted. For this, a team of officials and experts will visit the concerned reservoirs between July 17 and July 22. The technical and practical feasibility of the project will be evaluated during the inspection.
According to officials, the team will study the infrastructure, access arrangements, construction facilities and other important aspects available at these reservoirs. Apart from this, discussions will also be held with local stakeholders to understand the possible challenges and requirements faced in implementing the project.
One of the most important aspects for floating solar projects is the transmission of electricity. For this, the team will also visit the nearby substations of Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL). From here, information related to power transmission capacity, possibilities of connecting to the grid and technical requirements will be collected.
After inspection, the team will prepare a detailed report of each reservoir. This report will cover all aspects related to reservoir capacity, solar power generation potential, technical facilities, power transmission system and feasibility of the project.
This report will be presented in the upcoming State Reservoir Committee meeting. The committee will after studying the report decide which two reservoirs should be finalized for the floating solar project.
This step of Odisha government is considered important towards promoting green energy in the state. To meet the increasing energy needs, the government is continuously focusing on other renewable sources including solar energy.
According to experts, floating solar projects have many advantages. Due to this, large land area is not required and the empty surface of the reservoirs can be used for energy production. Apart from this, installing solar panels on the surface of reservoirs can also help in reducing evaporation of water.
However, before starting such projects, it is necessary to study the environmental impacts. The impacts on the animals living in the reservoirs, water quality and local use have to be taken into account.
The state government plans to take these projects forward while meeting the technical and environmental standards. If the floating solar projects on the selected reservoirs are successful, such schemes can be expanded to other reservoirs in the state in future.
At present, the process of inspection of six reservoirs is about to begin. After this, the direction of the next phase of the project will be decided on the basis of the experts’ report and the decision of the State Reservoir Committee. This effort of the Odisha government is being considered a big step towards taking the state forward in the field of clean energy production.