RANCHI: Jharkhand is soon to get its first 100 MW floating solar power plant (FSPP) at Getalsud Dam in Ranchi. According to officials, installation of the State's first floating solar power plant has almost been completed and is expected to be fully operational and start generating electricity by the end of March 2026.
Officials claimed that although it is not common in India, FSPP is gaining a lot of popularity across the world, which saves land space and utilises water bodies, besides reducing evaporation to a large extent.
The most significant feature of this project is that the solar panels are being installed floating on the water surface. According to experts, this technology will not make any negative impact on the water storage capacity of the dam or aquatic ecology, but will help reduce water evaporation.
This ambitious project, which began in July 2025, is targeted for completion by March 2026. The plant is being constructed by L&T.
"Spread over 172 acres, which is about 7-8 per cent of the total waterbody, will produce electricity from 7 am to 6 pm. This power plant has a capacity to produce 100 MW of power, which is sufficient for a lakh households,” said L&T Project Manager Sarvanam.
"Besides preventing water from evaporating due to extreme sunlight, enabling the water body to maintain the water level", he added.
The Project manager also informed that the floating power plant technology does not make any disturbances to the biodiversity inside the water body.
According to the Project Director, the process of installing solar panels within the dam is in an advanced stage. "This will not only strengthen the power supply to Ranchi city but will also alleviate problems like low voltage," he added.
“It has been divided into blocks, each having a capacity to produce 9 MW of power. It will produce green energy and will be fossil fuel-free,” said Sarvanam.
Before starting this project, the administration obtained the consent of the local Gram Sabha and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Water Resources Department. The power generated from this plant will be sent directly to the Hatia and Namkum grids.
The floating solar power plant is being constructed at a cost of Rs 437 crore by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). This is Jharkhand’s biggest floating solar power plant. The project was developed in a single phase.
FSPPs are considered more efficient than land-based panels due to natural cooling of the solar panels by the water present in the reservoir, increasing power generation by at least 5 to 10 per cent as compared to the solar panels installed on the ground.
In addition to that, FSPP will also prevent at least 5 per cent of the water in the reservoir from evaporating.