Partnership Overview

Tata Power has entered into a collaboration agreement with Norway-based renewable energy technology company Ocean Sun to introduce innovative membrane-based floating solar technology to India. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2nd India–EFTA Prosperity Summit, reinforcing the growing India–Norway and India–EFTA partnership in technology, innovation and clean energy.

Pilot Project Details

The collaboration involves undertaking a ~300 kWp floating solar pilot project at Tata Power's Mulshi reservoir in Maharashtra. The pilot will serve to evaluate Ocean Sun's proprietary membrane-based floating solar technology for:

  • Performance under Indian conditions
  • Reliability assessment
  • Cost competitiveness analysis
  • Scalability evaluation
  • Generation of practical operating insights for potential future deployment

Technology Evaluation Parameters

The pilot will enable Tata Power to evaluate Ocean Sun's technology against conventional floating solar solutions across key parameters including:

  • Energy generation capabilities
  • Capacity utilisation factor (CUF)
  • Installation methodology and time requirements
  • System reliability
  • Operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements
  • Capital cost considerations
  • Overall commercial viability

Technology Differentiation

Ocean Sun's technology differs from conventional floating solar systems that typically use interconnected pontoon structures. The innovative approach deploys solar PV modules on a thin, hydro-elastic membrane that floats directly on the water surface. Key features include:

  • Lightweight design that may simplify transportation and installation
  • Reduced structural requirements
  • Close proximity of PV modules to water surface providing potential cooling effect
  • Potential for improved generation performance due to cooling effect

Market Context and Potential

India has significant potential for floating solar deployment, with estimates by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) indicating more than 102 GWp of floating solar potential. This provides a substantial opportunity for the technology to complement ground-mounted and rooftop solar as India scales its renewable energy ecosystem.

Management Commentary

Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & Managing Director Tata Power, stated: "At Tata Power, innovation is central to accelerating India's clean energy transition. Our collaboration with Ocean Sun reflects our commitment to bringing advanced global technologies to India and evaluating their potential in real-world conditions. Through this floating solar pilot, we aim to generate valuable operating insights and assess its potential to deliver reliable, scalable and cost-effective clean power solutions."

Kristian Tørvold, CEO, Ocean Sun, commented: "India is one of the world's most attractive floating solar markets, but it is also a large and complex market where local execution capabilities are essential. Tata Power brings the experience, capabilities and market understanding required to navigate that complexity."

Strategic Importance

The collaboration comes at an important juncture for India's floating solar sector, which is expected to assume a growing role in the country's renewable energy transition. Floating solar can help reduce dependence on land while offering opportunities for co-benefits such as:

  • Reduced water evaporation from reservoirs
  • Potentially enhanced PV performance due to cooling effects
  • Complementary deployment alongside existing water bodies

Summit Context

The partnership was facilitated through the 2nd India–EFTA Prosperity Summit, which brought together stakeholders from India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Invest India played an important role in facilitating and strengthening India's engagement with EFTA and supporting opportunities for international investment and technology collaboration.

Company Background - Tata Power

Tata Power is a vertically integrated power company and part of the Tata Group, India's largest multinational business conglomerate. The company has built a diversified portfolio across the entire power value chain with:

  • Total operational and under-construction capacity surpassing 26 GW
  • Approximately 17.7 GW of clean and green energy capacity (including projects under construction)
  • Around 8.8 GW of thermal generation capacity
  • Over 7,800 circuit kilometres of transmission lines (including pipeline projects)
  • Service to over 13 million customers across its distribution businesses

Additional capabilities include:

  • 4.9 GW of integrated solar cell and module manufacturing capacity
  • 2.8 GW of pumped hydro storage projects signed
  • EV charging network of over 7,000 public charging points across 717 cities and towns in India

The company remains committed to achieving Net Zero by 2045 and continues to partner with public and private stakeholders to deliver reliable, sustainable, and technology-led energy solutions.