Ranchi News: In order to recruit operators for its projected 100 MW floating solar power plant in Getalsud Dam on the outskirts of Ranchi, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is prepared to launch an international competitive bidding (ICB) process next month. On March 15 of this year, the SECI announced a global contest to recruit operators for the project that had been envisioned for early 2019. The deadline for submitting bid requests was July 27.
Getalsud’s 100 MW Floating Plant Aims High
“If we manage to find operators this time, the proposed solar power plant in Getalsud will be among the largest floating solar plants in the country,” Sridhar Singh of SECI told TOl over phone on Sunday. The SECI added that the bidding will start on August 10. The factory would be constructed in 18 months for approximately Rs 650 crore. In Kerala’s Kayamkulam, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) now runs a 92 MW floating solar facility. In Telangana, a further 100 MW floating solar power facility is being considered. The largest floating solar power plant in the nation, with a 600 MW capacity, is now being built at Omkareshwar Dham on the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh for over Rs 3,000 crore. The Getalsud Dam project ran into difficulties in 2022 after the SECI’s initial global tender failed to attract any interest.
SECI’s Impact Assessment Ensures Harmony with Aquatic Life
The SECI conducted an impact assessment study earlier this year to determine whether the project will have a negative impact on fishers and aquatic life. According to Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Authority (JREDA) sources, the state-run Jharkhand Urja Sancharan Nigam Limited (JUSNL) will purchase the power generated by the plant and sell it to customers at prices set by the state energy regulatory body. However, Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth remained upbeat about the endeavour. “I wrote a letter to Union power minister R K Singh in 2021 and urged him to consider commissioning floating solar power plants in the state. A year later, he sanctioned the project. I have been told the arrangements have been completed for the bidding and major players in the field of renewable energy sector have evinced interest,” Seth told TOl. It’s noteworthy that the Jharkhand government aims to generate 750 MW of solar energy through its own projects over the course of the following five years.
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