Power generation through floating solar panels planned

HARIPUR: Tarbela Dam General Manager Muhammad Azam Joya has said that the WAPDA is going to implement the country’s first Floating Solar Panel Projects in the Tarbela and Ghazi Brotha barrages that would help add 300 megawatts of low-cost electricity to the national distribution system.

He said this while speaking to the participants of a workshop held to discuss the social and environmental impacts of floating solar panel projects here on Thursday.

Project Manager Tarbela Extension 5, Mark Gill, officials of water and power wings of Tarbela Dam, Tehsil Chairman Sahibzada Qasim Shah and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and representatives from the affected communities were also present.

The official said that as per the project implementation plan, two projects each with 150x2=300 MW capacity would be installed in Tarbela and Ghazi Brotha barrages at a cost of 325 million dollars.

The official said that the projects would be completed within the next two years with financial support from the World Bank and it would be the country’s first of its nature project that would help add 300 MW of renewable energy to the national distribution system.

He expressed the hope that the projects would also help create new job opportunities for the locals who had sacrificed land for the gigantic Tarbela Dam Project during the early 70s.

The official said that the Floating Solar Panel Project would also be helpful in arresting the current trend of load shedding in the country.

The participants discussed in detail the pros and cons of the project and shared suggestions for transforming the project into people and environment friendly.