| Work Detail |
The experimental plant will occupy an area of ??up to 10,000 m² on the Paraguayan side of the reservoir and will feature 2,000 photovoltaic modules. The project, which will supply the plants offices, could be expanded to other bodies of water in Brazil and Paraguay. Itaipu Binacional has authorized the installation of a floating solar power plant on the reservoirs water surface. The approximately 2,000 photovoltaic panels will be installed in an area of ??7,000 to 10,000 square meters on the Paraguayan side of the plant. The solar plant will be experimental, with a capacity of 1 MWp, enough to power approximately 650 homes. According to Itaipus general manager, Enio Verri, the energy generated by the floating plant (between 1,800 MWh and 2,000 MWh) will partially cover the consumption of Itaipus own offices. The projects objective, he says, is to promote feasibility studies, evaluate the benefits and potential environmental impacts of the reservoir. The results could serve as a basis for expanding the system at Itaipu itself and installing floating plants in other reservoirs in Brazil and Paraguay. Our government understands that electricity is a policy of social inclusion. People who have access to electricity can have a refrigerator, other appliances, and a better quality of life. And Brazil has this great advantage: we are the largest producer of hydroelectric energy in the world. The idea of ??this project is to use the structure of a hydroelectric plant to produce solar energy. I am convinced that in a few years we will be offering this energy to society, he stated. According to Ediléu Cardoso Jr., CEO of the KWP Energia/Sunlution group, 10% of the reservoirs depth would be enough to install a solar plant with 14,000 MW of installed capacity—in other words, a new Itaipu. When we talk about a plant of this size, with a binational company, this is the first project [in the world]. Therefore, it is a very important step to initiate a growth trajectory and bring a new source of large-scale generation, he emphasized. According to Márcio Massakiti, an engineer at the Brazilian Office of Renewable Energy, one of the advantages of the floating system is that it avoids cutting down trees or occupying fertile land to install a solar plant. The model also tends to reduce evaporation (preserving the reservoirs water) and mitigate algae growth, contributing to the preservation of aquatic ecosystems. This is what we know beforehand. But now we can compare current data with data collected after the plants installation. And thus provide technical support to Itaipus directors for future decisions, he emphasized. The consortium responsible for the plants installation, formed by Sunlution (from Brazil) and Luxacril (from Paraguay), won the bid for $854,500, a discount of 11.72% compared to the original offer. The contract includes the delivery of the engineering project, electrical equipment, the control and instrumentation system, the mechanical structure, civil and structural works, construction, assembly, and commissioning. |
