The World's Biggest Floating Solar Farm Damaged by a Storm Before its Inauguration
Article by Eric Worrall via Watts Up With That,
h1: Unforeseen Consequences: Fragile Floating Solar Structures and Bad Weather
h2: Madhya Pradesh: A Summer Storm Ruins the World's Largest Floating Solar Plant at Omkareshwar Dam
A summer storm on Tuesday wreaked havoc on a floating solar plant at Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar dam. The floating solar plant, located in the dam's backwater, is the largest of its kind globally. The project, a collaboration between the Madhya Pradesh Government and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), was almost ready for its inauguration. A portion of the project was operational as of last week.
The project, located near the village of Kelwa Khurd, aimed to generate 100 MW of electricity, with additional capacities of 88MW at Indawadi and 90 MW at Ekhand village. However, on Tuesday, summer storms with a speed of 50kmph disrupted the project, scattering the solar panels. Thankfully, no employee was injured.
h3: The Harsh Reality of Floating Structures and the Sea Environment
Anyone who has ever owned a boat, especially a large one that stays in the water, understands the harshness of the sea environment. Some kind of failure was bound to happen. If it wasn't a storm, there are plenty of other things that could have gone wrong.
Environmentalists continuously remind us that we can expect more frequent and extreme superstorms - so what's the point of constructing vulnerable floating structures?
Plastics tend to disintegrate under tropical sunlight, particularly when in contact with water or water spray. Sunlight's ultraviolet rays drive exotic chemical reactions, leading to chemical breakdown.
Managing metal in water is difficult, as even stainless steel is not immune to corrosion. All metal structures in contact with water need to be protected with sacrificial anodes or similar protective measures. Electricity and metal are a particularly bad combination, as any electrical fault that causes a current to run through metal in contact with water can accelerate corrosion thousands of times faster than usual.
We can only hope that developers and politicians take the hint and stop investing our money in inherently flawed ideas like floating solar arrays.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 05/11/2024 - 06:30
In conclusion, this unfortunate incident brings up many questions about the feasibility and sustainability of floating solar arrays. Are they worth the investment considering the potential risks and challenges? What are your thoughts on this matter? Feel free to share this article with your friends and engage in a discussion. You can also sign up for the Daily Briefing, which takes place every day at 6pm.
The World's Biggest Floating Solar Farm Damaged by a Storm Before its Inauguration
Article by Eric Worrall via Watts Up With That,
h1: Unforeseen Consequences: Fragile Floating Solar Structures and Bad Weather
h2: Madhya Pradesh: A Summer Storm Ruins the World's Largest Floating Solar Plant at Omkareshwar Dam
A summer storm on Tuesday wreaked havoc on a floating solar plant at Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar dam. The floating solar plant, located in the dam's backwater, is the largest of its kind globally. The project, a collaboration between the Madhya Pradesh Government and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), was almost ready for its inauguration. A portion of the project was operational as of last week.
The project, located near the village of Kelwa Khurd, aimed to generate 100 MW of electricity, with additional capacities of 88MW at Indawadi and 90 MW at Ekhand village. However, on Tuesday, summer storms with a speed of 50kmph disrupted the project, scattering the solar panels. Thankfully, no employee was injured.
h3: The Harsh Reality of Floating Structures and the Sea Environment
Anyone who has ever owned a boat, especially a large one that stays in the water, understands the harshness of the sea environment. Some kind of failure was bound to happen. If it wasn't a storm, there are plenty of other things that could have gone wrong.
Environmentalists continuously remind us that we can expect more frequent and extreme superstorms - so what's the point of constructing vulnerable floating structures?
Plastics tend to disintegrate under tropical sunlight, particularly when in contact with water or water spray. Sunlight's ultraviolet rays drive exotic chemical reactions, leading to chemical breakdown.
Managing metal in water is difficult, as even stainless steel is not immune to corrosion. All metal structures in contact with water need to be protected with sacrificial anodes or similar protective measures. Electricity and metal are a particularly bad combination, as any electrical fault that causes a current to run through metal in contact with water can accelerate corrosion thousands of times faster than usual.
We can only hope that developers and politicians take the hint and stop investing our money in inherently flawed ideas like floating solar arrays.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 05/11/2024 - 06:30
In conclusion, this unfortunate incident brings up many questions about the feasibility and sustainability of floating solar arrays. Are they worth the investment considering the potential risks and challenges? What are your thoughts on this matter? Feel free to share this article with your friends and engage in a discussion. You can also sign up for the Daily Briefing, which takes place every day at 6pm.
