MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan experts visit Brazilian floating solar power plant to apply that technology to Itaipú

The Itaipu project incorporated advanced French-patented flotation technology and improved access walkways

Paraguayan technicians from Itaipu's Renewable Energy Consultancy visited a 7-megawatt floating solar power plant at the Billings dam reservoir in São Paulo, Brazil, the largest of its kind in Latin America, spanning 5 hectares to learn about flotation and anchoring systems, as part of the preparations for a similar project, albeit smaller, undertaking at Itaipú.

Developed by KWP Energía/Sunlution, this company, alongside Paraguayan Luxacril, is implementing a 1-megawatt peak floating solar system at the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir.

The visit focused on studying flotation, anchoring, and direct current connection systems, with Itaipu adopting advanced French-patented flotation technology and improved access walkways.

The team also reviewed cybernetic security and SCADA monitoring systems for operational control. The Itaipu project is advancing with completed fencing, topographic surveys, road construction, and equipment assembly logistics. The delegation attended a Brazilian Solar Energy Association event to explore solutions for energy shortages during peak loads.

The Itaipu project incorporated advanced French-patented flotation technology and improved access walkways. The project is progressing with completed security fencing, topographic surveys, and ongoing construction of roads and equipment assembly logistics.

“With the consulting team we were verifying the flotation and anchoring systems, observing in situ these mechanisms that are going to be used with some improvements for the access walkways and the floating solar systems that we are going to have here in the Itaipu reservoir, thus allowing access by means of floating pontoons from land,” Renewable Energies' Pedro Domaniczky explained.

“We visualized the direct current connection systems of solar panels, in which we have already made corrections from the manufacturing process of the panel systems, so that these points of conflict or eventual problems are already addressed with technical solutions. We have been verifying these details with the consortium and the team of Itaipu's Renewable Energy Consultancy,” he added.

The follow-up mechanisms were visualized through the SCADA system with the operational requirements for monitoring and control of the plant. “This also allowed redefining and discussing the plant's cybernetic security systems, so that we have protection in Itaipu's internal environment regarding generation, which is being worked on in coordination with several areas of the Binational. Thinking especially on a large scale, so that the systems are also safe and have an additional cybernetic protection,” said Domaniczky.