PANAJI
Goa could see its first floating solar power project with a proposed 3.6 MWp solar plant on the backwaters of Panaji, coupled with a battery energy storage system (BESS) to shift solar power to periods of higher electricity demand.
The project, proposed under the PM-SSY, envisages a 3.6 MWp DC/4.38 MW AC floating solar photovoltaic plant integrated with a preliminary 1.10 MW/4.4 MWh battery storage system. The proposal is part of a project information sheet prepared for preliminary assessment, with detailed project report (DPR) preparation in progress. As per the proposal mooted by Goa Energy Development Agency, the floating solar plant is expected to generate around 7,198 MWh of electricity annually, with approximately 20 per cent of the generation- around 1,439.6 MWh a year, allocated for charging the battery system. The BESS is designed for one charge-discharge cycle a day and around four hours of continuous discharge. “The battery component is expected to enable the State to time-shift solar energy generated during the day to periods of peak or higher electricity demand. The proposed BESS has an indicative additional investment of Rs 5.50 crore, while the floating solar component is estimated at Rs 20 crore,” the proposal stated. The proposal envisages three possible implementation models-CAPEX, Build-Own-Operate (BOO) and Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) depending on the preferred financing, ownership and risk-sharing structure.
Under the CAPEX model, the State or utility would fund and own the project, while the BOO and BOOT models would involve private investment, with the latter providing for eventual transfer of the assets to the State or utility. “The Panaji backwaters project is also positioned as a potential demonstration model for wider deployment of floating solar with battery storage on suitable water bodies,” it said. The proposal, however, makes clear that the configuration is preliminary and that the final capacity and operating strategy would have to be optimised during the DPR stage after considering generation patterns, demand, grid constraints and techno-economic factors.
