Summary:
In a major push for the renewable energy sector and to overcome resistance to the acquisition of private land for infrastructure projects, the state government has set the ball rolling for floating solar power projects on large dams. The bureaucrat said with a 1,000 MW capacity, this would be among the largest floating solar power project in India. This will see solar panels being installed on the Ujani dam, followed by sites like the Jaikwadi and Koyna reservoirs. A senior official from the Maharashtra energy department said the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran) had floated expressions of interest (EoI) for a 1,000 MW floating solar power project at Ujani dam. The project will be awarded through the tariff-based competitive bidding method, where the bidder quoting the lowest tariff is selected..