India’s Floating Solar Capacity Stands At 700 MW, Policy Push Underway: MNRE

New Delhi, Feb 21 (KNN) The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on Friday organised a stakeholder consultation workshop to discuss the draft Floating Solar PV (FSPV) Potential Assessment Report and the draft floating solar policy.

The meeting was chaired by J.V.N. Subramanyam, Joint Secretary, MNRE, and attended by senior officials from MNRE, state renewable energy nodal agencies, representatives of states and Union Territories (UTs), the Solar Energy Corporation of India, NISE, and IIT Roorkee.

The draft potential report was prepared by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), while the draft policy was developed by IIT Roorkee.

Addressing Land Constraints

With land availability emerging as a major challenge for renewable energy projects, floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) systems are being explored as an alternative. 

However, only around 700 MW of floating solar capacity has been commissioned in India so far, mainly due to limited data on potential sites and the absence of a clear execution framework.

To address these issues, MNRE, in association with NISE and IIT Roorkee, prepared the draft documents to assess potential and streamline policy support.

Focus on Coordination and Risk Reduction

MNRE urged all States and Union Territories to conduct internal consultations with key departments, including water resources, irrigation, revenue, fisheries, forest, agriculture, DISCOMs, public works, tourism and pollution control authorities, and to submit feedback on the draft policy and assessment report.

Discussions during the workshop highlighted the need for innovative approaches such as ‘plug-and-pay’ models and pre-approved allotment of water bodies to reduce risks for developers and investors. 

States and UTs were also encouraged to identify and prioritise suitable sites for FSPV development.

MNRE said they will hold further consultations with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Wetland Authority and the National Dam Safety Authority after receiving feedback from states.

(KNN Bureau)