Large Scale Floating Photovoltaics on Lake Nasser for Effective Power Production and Reducing Water Losses
Abstract
Lake Nasser is one of the world’s largest artificial lakes. It is an important driver of Egypt’s economy, and it is the base for increasing agricultural land use in the country. However, being located in one of the most arid regions the reservoir is experiencing strong water losses due to evaporation. With growing population, water and power demand are further rising, and are becoming a major concern for the Egyptian people. Floating photovoltaic systems are a mitigation to strong water evaporation, while simultaneously effectively producing power. This concept study identifies a site in the northern part of Lake Nasser, where installation of 4 GW of FPV leads to an annual power production of approximately 9.6 TWh. Due to an evaporation leverage effect by cooling also surrounding water the annual evaporation reduction is estimated at approximately 0.15 km3.