Floating Solar PV System Is Becoming Popular in Southeast Asia
According to the latest report released by Institute of Energy Economics Financial Analysis (IEEFA) a few days ago, the floating photovoltaic solution is quietly becoming popular in Southeast Asia, and the installed capacity of projects is growing rapidly. That means that the needs of the floating solar pv mounting system is increasing accordingly in Southeast Asia.
According to the report, before 2019, the total installed capacity of floating photovoltaic in ASEAN is only 1 MW. While, at present, the total installed capacity of floating PV in the region has reached 51 MW, and there are 858 MW projects which is under planning.
As a matter of fact, the report shows that the Asian floating pv is at the forefront of the whole world. According to the data, the installed capacity of floating PV in China and Japan alone has reached 1.3 GW by the end of 2018. Although there were few floating photovoltaic projects in Southeast Asia before, last year, more and more ASEAN countries began to actively participate in the development of floating photovoltaic projects. More and more ASEAN countries built floating photovoltaic projects in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and even on the sea.
"It has been proved that floating photovoltaic projects can withstand the interference of severe natural conditions such as strong wind and big waves. Moreover, the cost of floating photovoltaic power generation can already compete with coal-fired power. " "At present, many equipment manufacturers are also starting to pilot offshore floating photovoltaic projects," said Elrika Hamdi, one of the authors of the IEEFA report. The natural geographical conditions and population distribution of ASEAN countries mean that there will be great development space for floating photovoltaic in the region.
According to the report, before 2019, the total installed capacity of floating photovoltaic in ASEAN is only 1 MW. While, at present, the total installed capacity of floating PV in the region has reached 51 MW, and there are 858 MW projects which is under planning.
As a matter of fact, the report shows that the Asian floating pv is at the forefront of the whole world. According to the data, the installed capacity of floating PV in China and Japan alone has reached 1.3 GW by the end of 2018. Although there were few floating photovoltaic projects in Southeast Asia before, last year, more and more ASEAN countries began to actively participate in the development of floating photovoltaic projects. More and more ASEAN countries built floating photovoltaic projects in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and even on the sea.
"It has been proved that floating photovoltaic projects can withstand the interference of severe natural conditions such as strong wind and big waves. Moreover, the cost of floating photovoltaic power generation can already compete with coal-fired power. " "At present, many equipment manufacturers are also starting to pilot offshore floating photovoltaic projects," said Elrika Hamdi, one of the authors of the IEEFA report. The natural geographical conditions and population distribution of ASEAN countries mean that there will be great development space for floating photovoltaic in the region.
According to the statistics of the report, in February last year, Singapore's CleantechSolar company completed a 2.8 MW floating photovoltaic project. In July of the same year, Singapore's national water supply company PUB conducted tenders for a 50 MW floating photovoltaic project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2021. Another Thai company, EGAT, invited bids for a 55.5 MW floating photovoltaic project in June last year, and it planned another 24 MW project. Vietnam's DHD company also launched a 47.5 MW floating photovoltaic project last year. At the beginning of this year, the state-owned company of Indonesia signed a 145 MW floating photovoltaic project construction contract with Masdar, a UAE enterprise.
Another author of the report, Jane Ahmed, points out that land shortage is an important reason for investors' preference for floating photovoltaic projects in Southeast Asian countries such as Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. At the same time, the development of floating photovoltaic projects can also make full use of the original transmission infrastructure in the region, which helps to reduce the expansion cost of power grid. "It's not enough to focus on the cost of power generation. Because new generation projects often mean that we need to build new transmission lines. In Southeast Asia, the development of power projects also needs to give priority to grid level solutions. "
Another author of the report, Jane Ahmed, points out that land shortage is an important reason for investors' preference for floating photovoltaic projects in Southeast Asian countries such as Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. At the same time, the development of floating photovoltaic projects can also make full use of the original transmission infrastructure in the region, which helps to reduce the expansion cost of power grid. "It's not enough to focus on the cost of power generation. Because new generation projects often mean that we need to build new transmission lines. In Southeast Asia, the development of power projects also needs to give priority to grid level solutions. "