PANAJI
After initially keeping Rs 1,300 crore floating solar energy project on hold for more than one and half year, the State government has finally decided not to go ahead with generation of around 197 megawatt (MW) of green power across four dams.
The floating solar project -- which has been successfully implemented across various States including Gujarat and Maharashtra -- in Goa was rejected by the Water Resources Department (WRD) citing concern with regards to possible contamination of raw water used for drinking.
The Central government owned SJVN Green Energy Ltd (SGEL) in January, last year, had submitted a proposal to the State government to invest over Rs 1,300 crore to generate solar power by setting up four floating solar projects across dams -- Selaulim, Amthanem, Anjunem and Chapoli.
SGEL along with Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) worked out the proposal and for the same, it also conducted preliminary hydrological investigation of the four reservoirs to determine detailed parameters for ascertaining suitable floating solar power potential.
Speaking to The Goan, WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar said that the WRD has rejected the proposal as it could lead to contamination of dam water. “We cannot take the risk. We use dam water for drinking purpose and it would not be safe,” he said while adding ‘we are not going into what other States have done…we are looking as far as our people are concerned’.
The department has cited various reasons like impact on water surface, the solar panel array can block sunlight penetration into water bodies, disrupting the thermal gradient, possible contamination of water, etc. As a result of the reduced sunlight, floating solar plants can also cause large areas of uneven surface heating, lowering reservoir turnover efficiencies, etc.
GEDA sources said that with delays in land acquisitions or other challenges associated with land availability for ground-mounted solar panels, the Central government has turned towards aquatic systems to ride the new wave. “The project has been successfully implemented in Maharashtra. In fact, floating solar panels were set up on drinking water reservoir,” sources said.
GEDA informed that in order to settle the worries raised by WRD, the SGEL had decided that the floating solar panels use high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as floater material which is known for its inert and non-toxic properties, durability, ultra violet resistance and ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Moreover, the floaters are manufactured in such a way that minimises the leaching of any harmful substances into the water in the reservoir.
“The project proponent would be utilising only 20 per cent of the water surface and not the entire water surface. With limited land resources available, this is the best option to explore,” GEDA said.
