Ciel & Terre India Stepped Up For 73.4 MWp Kayumkulam Floating Solar

Ciel & Terre India, the subsidiary of French floating solar pioneer Ciel & Terre International, has executed the installation and completion of a 73.4 MWp floating solar plant at National Thermal Power Corporation, Kayamkulam, Kerala. For the firm, the project was a significant milestone, as it delivered it’s made in India floats in record time for execution.

The project entailed the completion of the plant engineering, supply, and installation of floats, anchoring and mooring system of the solar plant. This would be India’s first floating solar plant installed in brackish backwaters. It is worth noting that the plant comprises 20 floating solar islands across an expanse of 129 acres, thereby covering 52.6% of the total water body.

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“This project is unique on its own as it is installed on salty backwaters of the Arabian sea. Our thorough R&D has enabled our floats to be sustainable in harsh, humid, and saline water conditions. We hope this project strategy will change the current outlook of the industry on floating PV and encourage them in trusting that floating solar is a more sustainable, viable and easier alternative when compared to other conventional renewable energy sources,” said Deepak Ushadevi, MD & CEO, Ciel & Terre India.

The subsidiary has set a world record for itself with the installation of 73.4 MWp in a span of just 70 days. This makes it the fastest installation of a floating solar plant worldwide.

The mammoth task has been achieved with NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) as the developer and turnkey EPC as the renewable energy arm of TATA group, TATA Power Solar.

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1,69,641 ‘Made in India’ Hydrelio aiR 1280 floats were mounted with 1,47,042 number of 490/495 Wp TRINA-make PV panels in four in a row configuration, while 10 central invertors with a capacity of 5 MW were used. The anchoring installation achieved completion in a record 80 days. In another record-setting moment, the patented Hydrelio floats were manufactured and delivered in a record timeline of five months, despite the COVID crisis.

The power generated from the plant will be supplied to grid and also provide power to more than 100,000 homes. That apart, it will reduce 9,26,71,427 tons of CO2 emissions.

As part of Ciel & Terre India’s contribution towards the ‘Make in India, made in India’ mission the floats were locally manufactured in their on-site manufacturing unit with an annual production capacity of 300 MW.