New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS): State-run NTPC has commissioned the largest floating solar PV project in India of 25MW on the reservoir of its Simhadri thermal station in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

This is also the first solar project to be set up under the Flexibilisation Scheme, notified by the Government of India in 2018.

The floating solar installation, which has a unique anchoring design, is spread over 75 acres in an RW reservoir. The project has the potential to generate electricity from more than 1 lakh solar PV modules.

This would not only help light around 7,000 households, but also ensure that at least 46,000 tonnes of CO2e are kept at arm's length every year during the lifespan of this project.

The project would also save 1,364 million litres of water per annum, which would be adequate to meet the yearly water requirement of 6,700 households.

The 2000MW coal-based Simhadri station is the first power project to implement an open sea intake from the Bay of Bengal, which has been functional for more than 20 years.

NTPC is also planning to set up a hydrogen-based micro-grid system on a pilot basis at Simhadri.

With a total installed capacity of 66,900 MW, the NTPC group has 71 power stations, including 29 renewable projects.

NTPC has set a target to install 60 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2032. It is also India's first energy company to declare its energy compact goals as part of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE).

The group has over 17 GW of capacity under construction, including 5 GW of renewable energy projects.