Floating solar PV (FPV) is a newly emerging technology compared to the conventional ground-mounted solar system. The first of its kind had only begun construction in 2007, with the development of the FPV pilot project in Aichi Prefecture, Central Honshu. Since then, FPV has become increasingly pursued as an option for solar generating mode of technology, not only in its place of origin but across the globe.
The proliferation of FPV farms has also spread throughout Southeast Asia. It presents the states in ASEAN with an array of opportunities to upscale the share of renewable energy within their respective energy mix. The eagerness of ASEAN countries to deploy FPV can be derived from the scale of investment specifically for this technology, on top of the number of facilities currently in operation. By the looks of it, the preference for FPV development in the region can still exponentially grow in the near future.
Drivers of FPV Deployment in ASEAN
Southeast Asia is endowed with abundant solar resources, which offer promising renewable energy potentials that member states can leverage for their power-generating capacity. Notwithstanding this enormous solar potential, its optimal exploitation is sometimes impeded by land-associated barriers. Large ground-mounted solar farms are well-equipped to fulfil the electricity demand of high-populated areas, but those sites are often faced with the issue of land shortage.
The deployment of FPV requires a water surface for it to operate on, as opposed to on land where its utilisation often conflicts with residential use or agricultural purposes. These differing land-use interests are respectively listed in Indonesia’s Guidelines for Floating Solar PV Farms 5 and by the Philippines 6 as drivers for FPV development. Not secondary to land concerns, benefits stemming from FPV also arrive in the form of energy diversification enabled by the increase of different types of renewable in each country’s capacity mix.
Contemporary FPV Landscape in ASEAN
Albeit its relatively nascent status as a technology, FPV has drawn interest from ASEAN member countries. Based on Table 1, all ten ASEAN Member States are tapping into their FPV potentials. The stages of the project development vary in each country, ranging from those in the initial planning stage to the finished plant projects that have started their commercial operation. The first FPV facility in the region is Singapore’s Testbed Facility at Tengeh Reservoir, launched in 2016.
The trend of FPV planning in ASEAN started to grow during 2019 – 2023, with the 47.5 MW FPV project in Da Mi Hydropower in Viet Nam launched in 2019 among the first commercial-scale facility in ASEAN. The largest of FPVs currently operating in the region is Indonesia’s Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 192 MW, which was constructed under a power purchase agreement (PPA) between a subsidiary of the state utility PLN with UAE’s green energy enterprise Masdar.
| Country | Identified projects | Status | Installed Capacity |
| Brunei Darussalam | 9 potential sites for demo projects—Ulu Totong Dam, Benutan Reservoir, Kago Dam, Mengkubau Dam, Tasek Lama, Imang Reservoir, Sengkurong Lake, Ikas Lake, Tasek Pelangi Biru[7] | Planning | Potentially 2,323 MW by 2035 |
| Cambodia | FPV facilities built in Chip Mong Insee Cement Corporation facilities developed by Ciel & Terre[8] | Commissioned | 2.8 MWp |
| Indonesia | Cirata FPV[9] | Operational | 192 MWp |
| Lao PDR | FPV on Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant[10] | In construction | 240 MWp |
| Malaysia | FPV at the ex-mining lake in Dengkil, in the Selangor state[11][12] | Planning | 13 MWp |
| FPV at Sultan Azlan Shah Power Station in Manjung Perak[13] | Pilot project | 105.12 kWp | |
| FPV at Batang Ai Hydroelectric Plant in Sarawak[14] | Planning | 50 MWp | |
| Myanmar | FPV at Paunglaung Dam, Yan Aung Myin Dam, and Chaung Ma Gyi Dam in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area[15] | Planning | – |
| Philippines | FPV contracts on Laguna de Bay[16][17] | Planning | 1,100 MW for 8 installations + Six solar operating contracts of 610.5 MW + 270 MW |
| FPV on a 90-hectare fishpond in Cadiz, Negros Occidental province[18] | Planning | 100 MW | |
| Singapore | FPV testbed at Tengeh Reservoir[19] | Pilot project | 1 MWp |
| Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm | Operational | 60 MWp | |
| FPV on Bedok and Lower Seletar Reservoirs[20] | Operational | 2×1.5 MWp | |
| Thailand | FPV at Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon Ratchathani[21] | Operational | 45 MW |
| FPV at Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen Province[22] | Planning | 24 MW | |
| Viet Nam | FPV project on Da Mi hydropower plant[23] | Operational | 47.5 MWp |
| The Ho Tam Bo FPV Power Plant and Ho Gia Hoet 1 FPV Power Plant[24] | Operational | 2×35 MW |
Table 1 Floating Solar PV Projects in ASEAN – This table does not provide an exhaustive list of all FPV projects across ASEAN.
The large installed capacity of the projects also characterises the drive for FPV expansion in ASEAN. For instance, Lao PDR’s FPV project on Nam Theun 2 hydro power plant with 240 MW and the Philippines’ awarded FPV contracts on Laguna de Bay with more than 2.9 GW installed capacity. The trend of large-scale capacity in FPV projects is envisioned to last, as the potential of FPV capacity across ASEAN is projected to reach around 825 GW, according to the study conducted by NREL.
Opportunities of FPV for ASEAN
Evidently, the appetite to develop FPV projects among ASEAN member states is high, as underscored by the multi-hundred megawatts projects currently in the planning stage. However, the enormous potential of FPV in ASEAN, as identified by the NREL study, presents the region with a low-hanging fruit to seize. When juxtaposed with the current scale of planned initiatives, FPV potentials in ASEAN are still an underexplored territory waiting to be optimally leveraged.
This technology allows member states to meet the 23% RE share goal in the Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES) set in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II framework. Maximising the utilisation of FPV in ASEAN will benefit the implementers with an increase of RE share in their energy mix and a diversification of energy sources. Aside from this energy-focused point of view, an FPV site can be explored to serve dual purposes, such as combining its utilisation with aquaculture.Â
However, more than development and investment plans are required. Formulating specific regulations for the technology will ensure the sustainability of an FPV planning regime. In light of this, the Philippines has taken the initial step by providing detailed guidelines for investments in FPV, which will solidify the technology’s deployment plan into its National Expenditure Program. Solidifying the game rules is crucial to draw investment and create certainty for the private stakeholders. Best practices for FPV financial incentives can be learned from another region, such as higher feed-in-tariffs than ground solar farms in China or extra benefits for renewable energy certificates in South Korea.Â
On the other hand, the lacunae in FPV regulation can be attributed to the current absence of permits and regulations specifically directed at energy-related facilities and activities. Equipping the plan to upscale FPV development with a supportive policy and regulation environment is crucial to ensure its robust actualisation. In the short-term, filling the policy gap is the way forward to achieve a consistent and sustainable FPV deployment plan nationally. Furthermore, consolidating the policy gap of water rights and permits for energy facilities on water can also provide an avenue for strategically utilising energy projects for the blue economy. Â
[1] https://power.nridigital.com/future_power_technology_feb21/hapcheon_dam_based_floating_solar
[2] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/japan-is-the-world-leader-in-floating-solar-power/
[5] https://www.pub.gov.sg/Public/WaterLoop/Sustainability/Solar/Floating
[6] https://masdar.ae/en/renewables/our-projects/cirata-floating-photovoltaic-fpv-plant
[7] https://thescoop.co/2021/06/30/nine-potential-sites-identified-for-floating-solar-farms/
[12] https://renewablesnow.com/news/solarvest-commissions-13-mw-floating-solar-plant-in-malaysia-716237/
[18] https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/09/11/philippines-to-build-new-100-mw-floating-solar-power-farm/
[19] https://www.pub.gov.sg/Public/WaterLoop/Sustainability/Solar/Floating
[20] https://info.pub.gov.sg/news/pressreleases/PUBawardsBedokLowerSeletarFloatingSystemstoBBRGreentech
[21] https://www.egat.co.th/home/en/20211103-pre/
[24] https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/01/06/vietnam-sees-70-mw-of-floating-pv-come-online/
[25] https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/84921.pdf
[26] https://aseanenergy.org/publications/the-7th-asean-energy-outlook/
[27] https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/85264.pdf
[30] Ibid p. 9.
Writers: Veronica Ayu Pangestika, Monika Merdekawati, Beni Suryadi
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