Preparing West Bengal Floating Solar Project

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Preparation of floating solar project. The GOWB has requested a project readiness financing (PRF) for the preparation of a floating solar power plant on the Bakreshwar dam reservoir. Although West Bengal has experience in solar PV development, this project will be the first of its kind and magnitude floating on a reservoir. The project will support the state in reaching their RPO targets and decarbonize the power sector. The scope of the PRF will specifically focus on environmental and social safeguards related to projects impacting water bodies. The Department of Power, Government of West Bengal will be the executing agency and West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) will be the implementing agency. The PRF will support WBPDCL to prepare the floating solar project and improve procurement readiness and compliance with ADB's safeguard policies for the ensuing project.The PRF and the ensuing floating solar project are aligned with the country partnership strategy for India, 2023-2027 by catalyzing climate resilient green growth and supporting the country's plans for its energy transition. It is in ADB's indicative country pipeline and monitoring (ICPM) and expected to be approved in 2024/2025.Output 1: Due Diligence, technical studies and safeguard assessments completed. Output 1 will be achieved by (i) undertaking necessary environmental and social surveys, studies and assessments, as per ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) and ADB's Social Protection Strategy (2001), (ii) conducting due diligence to cover the technical, economic, financial and climate change and disaster risk aspects of the ensuing project, (iii) complete detailed engineering, and (vi) undertaking a strategic procurement planning study and a project procurement risk assessment to identify contract packaging, contract modalities, procurement plans and bid documents, and supporting the bidding process.Output 2: Institutional Capacity improved. Output 2 will be delivered by (i) capacity training activities for the employees of the implementing agency in the field of floating solar technology, design and project preparation of floating solar projects, and environmental and social safeguards. The training will be delivered in form workshops and classroom training.Ensuing project. The project developed under the PRF will be the innovative floating solar power plant project, constructed on the Bakreshwar dam reservoir in West Bengal. The final installed capacity of the powerplant will be subject to the outcome of the detail studies produced under the PRF and through WBPDCL. The project has an indicative ADB financing amount of $193 million and is scheduled for approval in 2024/2025.