Ramagundam Floating Solar
Built on a thermal plant reservoir with 4.5 lakh modules on HDPE floats — the reference for floating-solar anchoring and mooring EPC in India.
Footage · Pitou · YouTube
100 MW
Capacity
Utility-scale floating solar on a live thermal reservoir
approx. 4.5 lakh
Modules installed
Mounted on HDPE floating platforms
approx. 500 acres
Water surface used
No land acquisition required
approx. ₹423 crore
Approx. investment
Publicly reported project cost
approx. 165 MU
Annual generation
Estimated yearly units supplied to grid
HDPE float + mooring
Anchoring type
Designed for reservoir water-level fluctuation
2019
NTPC conceives floating solar on its Ramagundam thermal reservoir to reuse water-body assets without new land acquisition.
2020
EPC contract for the 100 MW floating array awarded; HDPE float and anchoring system finalised for reservoir conditions.
2021
First phase of floating modules commissioned and synchronised with the grid via existing thermal-plant infrastructure.
2022
Full 100 MW capacity with approx. 4.5 lakh modules commissioned, becoming India's largest floating solar plant at the time.
2022-23
Plant enters commercial operation; performance data on generation, evaporation savings and float durability begins circulating publicly.
NTPC Ramagundam's 100 MW floating solar plant, built on its thermal reservoir in Telangana, is India's most cited reference for utility-scale floating-solar EPC. It demonstrates that large capacities can be deployed without land acquisition, using HDPE float and anchoring systems engineered for reservoir water-level swings. For developers, lenders and utilities, it set benchmarks on module density, mooring design, marine cabling, and O&M logistics that now shape floating-solar tender specifications and lender due-diligence checklists across India.
With SECI, NTPC, NHPC and state discoms now floating tenders for floating-solar on reservoirs, canals and thermal-plant water bodies, Ramagundam's specifications for float density, mooring design and marine BOS have become de facto reference points in bid documents. Lenders financing such projects increasingly ask for independent technical review of anchoring systems and water-level data before sanctioning green loans or bonds, given the asset's higher capex per MW versus ground-mount solar.
Engineering, procurement and finance lessons
01
Design mooring for water-level swing, not just wind
Reservoir levels fluctuate seasonally with thermal-plant cooling water draw-down; anchoring and mooring cable lengths must be engineered for worst-case drawdown and flood levels, not just wind and wave loads, to avoid float grounding or over-tensioning.
02
Marine-grade electricals are non-negotiable
Humidity, wave splash and float movement demand marine-rated cabling, connectors and junction boxes; standard ground-mount BOS specifications underestimate corrosion and flexing fatigue risk over a 25-year asset life.
03
O&M logistics need boat-based access planning
Module cleaning, float inspection and cable checks require boats or walkways; EPC and O&M contracts should price this into recurring cost assumptions rather than defaulting to land-based O&M benchmarks.
04
Co-location with thermal plants eases grid integration
Using existing substation and transmission capacity of a thermal station cuts evacuation infrastructure cost and timeline — a replicable model for other coal/gas plant reservoirs seeking brownfield renewable capacity.
05
EPC contractor track record on floats matters more than solar experience alone
Structural and marine engineering competence for float fabrication, anchoring and installation is as critical as PV EPC experience; bid evaluation criteria should weight this separately.
Sources · NTPC Limited press releases · Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India · Mercom India · PV Magazine India
- Independent technical due diligence on floating-solar EPC bids, covering float, anchoring and marine-BOS specifications
- Lender's/independent engineer role for green financing of floating-solar and hybrid land-water renewable assets
- PPA and tender-structuring advisory for CPSU and state utilities repurposing reservoirs and thermal-plant water bodies