Telangana to have floating solar plants

Hyderabad: For the first time in Telangana floating solar power plants will be constructed on the Himayathsagar and Osmansagar lakes.

Pumping drinking water through its network to areas beyond GHMC limits costs HMWS&SB '70 crore per month in electricity bills and solar power is a cheaper alternative.

The water board told the state government that it has vacant land at various reservoirs, water treatment plants and pumping stations at Singur, Manjeera , Krishna, Godavari, Himayathsagar and Osmansagar where it can install solar plants and generate 100 MW solar power at each source point. 

It is also possible to generate more efficient solar power by installing floating solar plants of 100 MW on water surfaces of Himayathsagar and Osmansagar. This arrangement can reduce water evaporation to a large extent and generate 300 MW of solar power.  

The water board has received a feasibility study report from Zenith Energy.  The report says the cost of setting up a 100 MW solar power project is estimated at '450 crore. The water board has told the government that it will bear the expense of setting up the floating solar power plants at Himayathsagar and Osmansagar.