How PCJ and NWC Floating Solar Plant on the Mona Reservoir may mean an end to Water Lockoffs

Looks like the Mona Reservoir may soon be covered in PV (Photovoltaic) if the PCJ (Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica) have their way!!!

The PCJ has issued an invitation for companies interested in providing consultancy services to study the feasibility of a grid-connected floating PV plant as noted in the article “Jamaica’s oil company PCJ plans floating PV project at water reservoir”, published December 5 2017 by Emiliano Bellini, PV Magazine.

The study will provide the PCJ and Jamaica’s National Water Commission (NWC) with the necessary technical, financial, and environmental assessments on the floating PV project. Once approved, it would be the first of its kind in the country, if not the Caribbean. Interested consultants will have to submit their offers by January 12, 2018.

A big of background is in order.

The PCJ announced its intention to enter the renewable energy sector in mid-October. They'd also issued a tender for a rooftop PV project for the DBJ (Development Bank of Jamaica).

This is very similar to their intention to install Solar systems at several Public Primary and High Schools as noted in my blog article entitled “PCJ to install JA$62 million Solar Panels Systems - 15 Schools and 3 GOJ Institution”.

The PCJ is also getting funding from the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) as part of their Deployment of Renewable Energy and Improvement of Energy Efficiency in the Public Sector Project to set up solar Systems at six public hospitals in a bid to reduce the Electricity Bill of the Health Sector.

So how will this work, exactly?

PCJ and NWC - Solar Powered Hydroelectric Plant may mean an end to Water Lockoffs

The idea is that a grid-connected floating PV plant could produce power to supply the grid. Any excess power could be used to pump water to keep the reservoir full, as a form of energy storage.

Then at a time of peak power demand, the water would be let out, turning water turbines, effectively a form of stored Hydroelectric power.

This concept has a lot in common with the JPS Co's (Jamaica Public Service Company) plan to store excess generate power in Li-Ion Batteries and Flywheels as explained in my blog article entitled “How JPS Co Hybrid Storage Plant Prevents Islandwide Outages as Solar Power usage increases”.

This is basically storing excess KE (Kinetic Energy) in a form of PE (Potential Energy) that can be extracted on demand.

It is also similar the 40 MW, 160,000 panels floating Solar Farm in an artificial coal mine lake in central Anhui province in China as explained in the article “Floating solar farm reflects China's clean energy ambitions”, published Wednesday, June 14, 2017 , The Jamaica Observer.

Good to note that unlike the Floating Solar Farm in China, the Mona Reservoir is the main source of water for the Kingston metropolitan region, Jamaica’s capital. This may sound like the PCJ want to play with your drinking water, but rest assured, there is no risk of water contamination, as the water store there is purified afterwards.

It also has the advantage of reducing surface evaporation from the Mona Reservoir, which combined with the pump system to pump water directly from the river, will make drought and Water Lockoffs in the Kingston area a thing of the past.