Australian company to build first floating solar plant in India
06 Apr 2011
Australian solar power company Sunengy Pty Ltd has entered into a partnership with India’s largest integrated private power utility, Tata Power, to build a pilot for its first ever floating solar-power plant, using patented Liquid Solar Array (LSA) technology.
The Sunengy LSA uses traditional Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) technology – a lens and a small area of solar cells that tracks the sun throughout the day, like a sunflower. Floating the LSA on water reduces the need for large areas of additional land or expensive supporting structures to protect it from high winds. The lenses submerge in bad weather and the water also cools the cells, increasing their efficiency and life-span.
Sunengy Chairman and Executive Director of Business Development, Mr Peter Wakeman said, “This trial is globally significant, because it allows Sunengy to demonstrate the practicality of its technology in one of the world’s most promising solar power markets.”
Mr Wakeman added that when combined with hydroelectric dams, LSA provides 24/7 availability. He said LSA could match the power output of a typical hydro dam using less than 10 per cent of its surface area—and supply an additional six to eight hours of power per day—making it possible for solar power to become widely used.
Tata Power’s Executive Director, Mr Banmali Agrawala said, “This nascent technology will be demonstrated in the natural environment; it utilises the water surface for mounting and does not compete with land that can be used for other purposes.”
Construction of the pilot plant in India will commence in August 2011. Austrade teams in India and Australia are offering continued assistance to Sunengy for a successful completion of the project and opening additional markets.
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