Written by PPL Newsroom• October 8, 2026• 8:56 am• Innovation

Tata Power to test membrane-based floating solar at Maharashtra’s Mulshi reservoir

The ~300 kWp pilot with Norway’s Ocean Sun will compare a thin floating membrane with conventional pontoon systems on generation, cost and reliability.

Tata Power has said it will run a ~300 kWp floating solar pilot at its Mulshi reservoir in Maharashtra, working with Norwegian company Ocean Sun. The collaboration agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2nd India–EFTA Prosperity Summit. The aim is to find out whether a lighter, membrane-based design can work well and affordably in Indian conditions.

How the technology differs

Most floating solar systems use interconnected pontoon structures. Ocean Sun instead mounts solar modules on a thin, hydro-elastic membrane that floats directly on the water surface. The companies expect two possible benefits. The lightweight design is meant to simplify transport and installation and reduce structural requirements. Because the modules sit close to the water, there may also be a cooling effect that improves generation. Panels generally lose some output as they heat up, so cooler panels can produce more electricity.

These are expected benefits, not proven results. Testing them is the purpose of the pilot.

What will be measured

A kWp figure is the peak output a solar plant is designed to deliver. At about 300 kWp, Mulshi is a small installation, built to test the technology rather than to supply the grid at scale.

Tata Power will compare the installation with conventional floating systems on several measures. These are energy generation, capacity utilisation factor (CUF), installation method and timelines, reliability, operations and maintenance needs, capital cost and overall commercial viability. CUF shows how much electricity a plant actually produces compared with the maximum it could produce running at full capacity all year.

Tata Power CEO and MD Dr Praveer Sinha said the company wants to generate valuable operating insights and assess whether the technology can deliver reliable, scalable and cost-effective clean power. Ocean Sun CEO Kristian Tørvold said, “India is one of the world’s most attractive floating solar markets”, but added that local execution capability is essential.

What this means for India

The National Institute of Solar Energy estimates that India has more than 102 GWp of floating solar potential. That could add to ground-mounted and rooftop solar without using more land. Reservoirs such as Mulshi already have hydro infrastructure around them. A pilot with published comparisons on cost, installation time and output would give other developers and utilities Indian data to work from. No timeline or results have been announced yet.

Why a pilot first

Floating solar is attractive where land is scarce or costly, but each design has to prove itself in local conditions. Reservoir levels, monsoon winds and maintenance practices all affect how a system performs. Technology pilots like Mulshi can help build the technical and commercial evidence needed for wider deployment, according to the announcement.

Ocean Sun has operating experience elsewhere. It has run a pilot project in the Philippines, and that project, at Magat, was damaged by Typhoon Nika after about five years of operation. The company said the incident gave it insights for future improvements. Results from Indian sites will show how the design copes with local weather.

What happens next

The companies have not published an installation date or a schedule for sharing results. Tata Power has framed the project as a first step towards possible larger deployments, depending on what the trial shows. Readers should look for published figures on CUF, capital cost and installation time. Those will show whether the membrane approach holds up against pontoon-based systems.