'Tremendous potential for floating solar projects in Kerala': State mulls strategy to meet long term power needs

Thiruvananthapuram: Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph announced on Friday that Kerala will evaluate the feasibility of floating solar power projects and pumped-storage facilities to address the state's long-term power needs.

Addressing a roundtable session on "Renewable Energy Sources" on the final day of the three-day "Reimagining Kerala" conference, the Minister highlighted the necessity of tailored energy solutions.

"Kerala has a power crisis which can only be addressed with innovative projects that are feasible to the state's unique geographical and climate conditions," Joseph stated. The session was also attended by KSEB Chairman M G Rajamanickam.

Minister Joseph noted that geographical constraints and the evolving impacts of climate change present structural and operational challenges to deploying conventional large-scale solar and wind infrastructure. To overcome these limits, he emphasised that the state must explore floating solar power, pumped-storage capabilities, and community-level battery storage systems operated alongside Local Self Governing bodies.

Highlighting the potential of water-based renewable infrastructure, M R Narayanan—who developed India's concrete-based floating solar setup at the Banasura Sagar reservoir in Wayanad—stated that Kerala has the capacity to generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity through floating solar installations. Narayanan urged the government to establish a single-window clearance framework to expedite project implementation.

KSEB Chairman M G Rajamanickam stressed the importance of demand-side management, identifying energy conservation as the most actionable, immediate solution to the state's current power challenge. He pointed out that as rooftop solar installations increase, many households lose track of their net power usage, indicating a need for a system that notifies consumers of their consumption and rewards energy-saving behavior.

The conference brought together officials from ANERT, KSEB, the Kerala Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs Association, and other industry stakeholders. Discussions focused on integrating solar photovoltaic, small and medium wind, small hydropower, biomass, and waste-to-energy into a centralized Energy Management System, alongside demonstrating utility-, community-, institutional-, and residential-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems.

This video provides coverage of the 'Reimagining Kerala' round table conference where state ministers and energy experts convened to formulate implementation roadmaps for major development projects. (PTI)