Currently, it has been put into operation at the Alqueva hydroelectric dam, the largest reservoir in Portugal, write White Mad.
Alqueva Floating Park. Photo: EDP
Usually, engineering structures with solar batteries cover fields, deserts and roofs of buildings, they began to be placed on reservoirs relatively recently. The first such installation appeared in Japan in 2017, later in Great Britain, Luxembourg and Lithuania.
Alqueva has a capacity of 5 MW. Photo: EDP
The use of reservoirs for arranging solar power plants has a number of advantages. Structures located on water work 16% more efficiently, because the liquid under them cools the equipment. In addition, they help to reduce the evaporation of water from artificial reservoirs, which are designed for the use of hydroelectric power plants.
The Portuguese solar power plant is made entirely of recycled materials. Photo: EDP
The disadvantage of such power plants is that batteries made of pure plastic have a high carbon footprint. However, during the development of the technology used for the Alqueva solar plant, engineers reduced carbon emissions by 30% – the installations are made entirely of recycled plastic and bottle caps.
This material was developed by Amorim and was previously used by NASA as a thermal insulator.
The area of Alqueva is equal to four football fields. Photo: EDP
Alqueva consists of 26 floating structures and 600 solar modules, the total area of which is equal to four football fields. The new floating power plant with a capacity of 12 MW will provide energy for 000 families.
Read also
The American company will help build two power units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP
The Japanese have created an ocean turbine that will produce endless green energy
One of the largest solar power plants in Ukraine was not destroyed after all, it is working - Forbes