Alappuzha: A 10 kilowatt solar power photovoltaic plant which was set up by the Kayamkulam NTPC unit in January for meeting 9050 kw auxiliary power consumption will be expanded to 100 kw. The expansion proposal has been approved by Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), the research wing that developed floaters made of non-corrosive material.
An NTPC official told DC that making use of water bodies on the campus for the solar production has not affected the the normal naphtha- based power production. “The solar energy production could be the sole source of energy in the future to meet its auxiliary purposes,” the official said.
The NTPC unit is set up in 1,165 acres of land, including about 200 acres of low-lying areas which are expected to come under the floating solar panel project.
The official said that the green energy was not for commercial production as it needs at least five acres of land for producing one mw power.
However, the floating solar panels are radiant even in low ambient temperature. They have curbed the quick evaporation in water bodies. The cost of expansion is expected to be Rs 1.3 crore, the official said.
