Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has commissioned the 3 MW floating solar power project at Meghadrigedda Reservoir.
The GVMC already has a floating solar power plant of 2 MW on the Mudasarlova Reservoir. Meghadrigedda is one of the main water sources in Visakhapatnam. It supplies approximately 10 MGD water. It also adopted the renewable energy mantra to support several municipal schools and offices in the city.
The Asian Development Bank has granted Rs 14 crore ‘urban climate change resilience trust fund’ for this floating solar initiative under the ‘Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial corridor development programme’. The project was executed by a Gurgaon-based private company.
Besides being environment-friendly, the floating solar project reduces the demand for land and makes use of the unutilised surface area of the reservoir. Solar panels will reduce water evaporation in the reservoir.
G Lakshmisha, GVMC commissioner, stated that the GVMC could save 12 acre of land by setting up a power project at the reservoir. The project will reach its breakeven point in five years. It will generate 4.2 million units of power annually, but it will also reduce 3,220 tonnes carbon dioxide emissions and 54,000 tonnes coal. “The floats will adjust automatically to changes in water levels with the support from anchors,” stated Lakshmisha.
