Govt moots 100 MW floating solar power plant in PABR

Uravakonda (Anantapur): The State government is coming up with a novel idea of establishing a 100 MW floating solar power plant in the PABR Reservoir.

Details are being worked out in this regard. The idea not only saves space but also reduces water evaporation losses as the solar floats give a cover to the water in the reservoir from Sun.

New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation (NREDCAP) is also in the process of meeting its target to complete 1,000 mega watts of wind power generation by March 31, 2017. Already 400 megawatts of wind power generation has been commissioned and another 600 megawatts are in the execution stage and expected to be commissioned by March 2017.

Dubbed as green corridor, Rayalaseema particularly Kurnool and Anantapur will have a total power generation of 3,000 megawatts - 1,000 MW in Kurnool and 2000 MW in Anantapur district.

The expansion of existing power plants is taking place in various mandals including Axis Wind Farm by 100 MW in Kuderu, Green Co at Saipuram by 100 MW, Skiron Energy at Polthuru by 226 MW, Ostro Energy by 200 MW in Kambaduru and Future Energy at Chennanpalle by 100 MW and also two other projects contributing to another 200 MW.

AP Genco has plans to set up a 500 MW solar power plant at N P Kunta in the district sometime in 2017. These projects altogether would contribute to expansion of non-conventional projects – with further increase in wind power generation by more than 1,000 MW and solar energy production by another 500 MW.

Presently, National Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) is engaged in overseeing establishment of Power Pooling Stations (PPS) at Kambaduru, Madancheruvu, Borampalle and other places to facilitate grid connection so that the power pooled from the sub-station areas could be transferred to the 220 KV sub-station at Borampalle and from there to the 400 KV sub-station at Uravakonda. These pooling stations will be completed by the end of March.

NREDCAP District Manager Kodandarama Murthy told The Hans India that 30 years ago AP was brushed aside as a ‘No wind State’ but today it is producing 2000 MW of wind power out of the union government’s national target of 10,000 megawatts.

Normally the minimum specification is 150 watts of wind power density per square metre area.

“Modern machinery has enabled us to tap wind power even at 150 watts per square metre, a proposition not considered in the past on grounds of ‘not feasible’,” he said.

What the power producers generated 10 lakh units in Ramagiri area is now able to almost double to 18 lakh units with latest equipment. Latest equipment enabled power producers to capture wind power even in low density wind power areas.

Among the several players, Suzlon group, Gamesha, Inox, Wind World, Regen Power Tech, General Engineering, Tata and BHEL are major ones. Two companies Suzlon and Regen group are into manufacturing of wind fans to bring down transportation and import costs.

The district is producing more than 1000 MW of power including old and new solar and wind projects in Kalyandurg, Uravakonda, Kadiri and Ramagiri regions.

The wind power projects commissioned up to March 2015 were producing wind energy to the order of 792.94 MW capacity and subsequently another 401.10 MW have been added.

The wind projects commissioned post 2015 are located at Atmakur, Beluguppa, Honnuru, Kalyandurg, Kudair, Pottipadu, Singanamala, Talaricheruvu, Tallimadugula and Vajrakaruru.

Andhra Sugars of Mullapudi Harischandra Prasad was the first to set up a 3 MW wind power project at Ramagiri, followed by many others groups including BHEL, APSRTC, Navabharath Group, Deccan Cements, Rayalaseema Paper Mills, BSM Spinning Mills, Priyadarshini and ILFS setting up the plants and producing altogether 51.74 MW of power and supplying the same to the Power Grid.