Thames Water to install 6.3MW floating solar panel in London

Private water utility Thames Water has entered into a deal with Ennoviga Solar and Lightsource Renewable Energy to install a 6.3MW floating solar system on Queen Elizabeth II reservoir in London, the UK.

Construction work for the project has been initiated and upon completion Thames Water will be able to self-generate 33% of its own power by 2020.

Claimed to be the largest of its kind, the floating solar panel will be equipped with more than 23,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, using a usually redundant suburban space on the surface.

Eight football pitches worth of photovoltaic (PV) panels will produce enough energy to provide clean energy to 1,800 homes annually.

The floating solar system, which expects to produce 5.8 million kilowatt hours in its first year, will also supply power to the close by water treatment works.

Thames Water energy manager Angus Berry said: "Becoming a more sustainable business is integral to our long term strategy and this innovative new project brings us one step closer to achieving our goal – this is the right thing for our customers, the right thing for our stakeholders and most importantly the right thing for the environment."

As per the agreement, Lightsource will deploy over 61,000 floats and 177 anchors in order to build the floating platform for the solar array.

Lightsource CEO Nick Boyle said: "We’re delighted to have begun work on another ambitious milestone project for Lightsource with our first floating solar installation.

"Over the last five years we’ve successfully completed ground and roof installations of all shapes and sizes, but this project has some obvious differences and has presented our team with a set of fresh challenges to overcome.

"There is a great need from energy intensive industries to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as the amount they are spending on electricity and solar can be the perfect solution. We’re therefore constantly evolving new skill sets to ensure that all of our projects deliver maximum energy generation over the lifetime of the installation."

Ciel et Terre International has built the floating mounting system for the project.

Ciel et Terre International business development director Eva Pauly said: "This is our largest project outside of Japan and the first one with European bank financing, proving that our technology is not only suitable for water utilities, but has also been recognised as bankable in Europe as well as Asia."