Accelerating India's energy transition through renewables knowledge

As part of the international effort to combat climate change, India has committed to delivering a 33-35% reduction in 2005-level greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030. This includes an ambition to generate 40% of the country's power from renewable sources by the same target date.

In collaboration with Indian authorities, an international finance organisation dedicated to sustainability is investing in the expansion of floating solar PV power across the country.

As well as being a low-carbon solution, this type of power generation doesn't require the acquisition of land, avoiding extra cost and enabling the terrain to be used for other sustainable purposes.

One such opportunity is at a reservoir, where plans are being developed for a 600MW floating solar PV plant. To ensure the plant will deliver the most sustainable outcome for India, the finance organisation has appointed Enzen as a specialist renewables partner to assess the plant's technical, environmental, economic and social viability.

Leading the response are knowledge practitioners from Enzen Spain and Enzen India. The former has extensive experience of collaborating with multilateral organisations to accelerate the use of cleaner energy solutions, while the latter is becoming increasingly influential in the transformation of India's energy landscape through innovation.

Drawing on their deep domain knowledge in the design and implementation of renewables, the knowledge practitioners first delivered a comprehensive pre-feasibility study of the planned floating PV plant and then contributed to the detailed project report.

The pre-feasibility study entails conducting hydrographic, geophysical, geotechnical, social and environmental surveys, then producing final recommendations on the mooring, piling, floaters, solar panels and interconnection infrastructure to the Indian power grid.

Because the reservoir is public, Enzen is also collaborating with the state authority, public utilities and local stakeholders like fishermen and other community groups, all to ascertain the potential impact and benefits of the plant on the prosperity and environment of the region.

The recommendations of Enzen's knowledge practitioners will mobilise over US$ 400 million in investment and unlock long-term value for the area and its communities. As a result of our insights so far, the project's power rating increased in scale from its original 500MW to 600MW and will now progress from the feasibility stage into the detailed planning phase. As a valued partner on the project, Enzen has also been retained for these final phases and will help to realise the full potential of this high profile, flagship example of renewables innovation.

By establishing state-of-the-art technical standards based on global best practices, we are contributing to the creation of an exemplary floating solar PV plant, all based on current electrical infrastructure and with minimum disruption caused to the area.

The ultimate outcomes will be lower emissions, protected livelihoods and more employment opportunities. Moreover, Enzen's contribution will help deliver a best-in-class blueprint for similar renewables solutions across India, accelerating the country's energy transition in line with its global commitments.