Kerala eyes floating solar, pump storage to tackle power crisis

To tackle its power crisis, the Kerala government will explore floating solar projects and pump storage facilities, said Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph. The state faces geographical constraints but sees a 2000 MW potential in floating solar alone.

Kerala Eyes Innovative Solutions for Power Crisis

As part of the multi-pronged strategy to address Keralam’s power demands in the longer run, the state government will seriously look into the feasibility of floating solar projects and pump storage facilities, Minister for Electricity Sunny Joseph said on Friday.

As per the official release, the Minister was addressing a roundtable on “Renewable Energy Sources” on the closing day of Reimagining Keralam, a three-day event, featuring a series of Round Table Conferences (RTCs) on the state government’s flagship development projects. MG Rajamanickam IAS, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), also attended the conference.

“Keralam has a power crisis which can only be addressed with innovative projects that are feasible to the state’s unique geographical and climate conditions,” said Sunny Joseph. “The state has structural and operational constraints when it comes to large-scale conventional solar and wind power projects due to its geographical features and consequences of climate change,” said the Minister. “The state needs to look at the possibility of floating solar projects, pump storage facilities, and developing community-level battery storage systems with the help of Local Self-Governing bodies,” he added.

Harnessing Floating Solar Potential

There is tremendous potential for floating solar projects in the state. The state has the capacity to produce 2000 megawatts of power through floating solar facilities, said MR Narayanan, who pioneered India's concrete-based floating solar projects on the Banasura Sagar reservoir in Wayanad. “The Government should formulate a single window clearance approach for the timely implementation of such energy projects,” he said.

Energy Conservation as an Immediate Solution

“Conservation of energy should be integrated into policy level as it is the most practical and immediate solution for the present energy crisis in the state,” said MG Rajamanickam. “With more households installing rooftop solar systems, consumers are not aware of their energy consumption. This calls for a system to notify consumers about power consumption and incentivise energy conservation,” he added.

Integrating Renewables and Storage Systems

The conference also deliberated on how solar photovoltaic, small and medium wind, small hydropower, biomass and waste-to-energy can be integrated into a common Energy Management System.

The conference also discussed how Battery Energy Storage Systems can be demonstrated at utility, community, institutional and residential scale. Officials from ANERT, KSEB, representatives of Kerala Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs Association and other industry stakeholders attended the conference. (ANI)

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