UP Identifies 195 Acres Of Land To Setup Solar Plants Under PM-KUSUM

UPNEDA issues the numbers of farmers with land details for bidders. Photo by-Manish Kumar/Saur Energy

In its latest notification, the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) listed a total identified land of up to 195 acres under the PM-KUSUM scheme. The department said that this land parcel, owned by the government’s farmers in some places, could be diverted for setting up grid-connected solar power plants under the feeder level solarization.

Feeder-level solarization is a crucial part of Component C of the central Scheme. The detailed list of available land shows the maximum amount of land available from the state’s Meerut, Bareilly, and Kanauj districts. The department has also issued the numbers of the land owners and the district-level UPEDA officials. The department said that the concerned bidders could contact the farmers in consultation with the respective district UPNEDA project officers to take the matter further.

Under the Component C-2 of the PM-KUSUM scheme, the government allows states to solarize the agriculture feeders. The Scheme allows funds in regions where agriculture feeders are kept separate. Special loans for feeder separation are granted from NABARD or PFC/REC.

It also allows further assistance for feeder separation from the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) of the Ministry of Power. 

“Solar plants of capacity that can cater to the requirement of the agriculture load of the selected feeder can be installed through CAPEX/RESCO mode for a project period of 25 years,” the norms said.

It also said, “CFA of 30% on the cost of installation of solar power plant (up to Rs. 1.05 Cr/MW) will be provided. However, in the North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, and A&N Islands, a 50% subsidy is available.

The farmers will get day-time reliable power for irrigation free of cost or at a tariff fixed by their respective state.”

The objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) include:

• De-dieselisation of the farm sector.
• Providing water and energy security to farmers.
• Increasing the income of farmers, and curbing environmental pollution.

To achieve these objectives, the following targets have been kept under the Scheme:

Component-A: 10,000 MW of decentralized ground-mounted grid-connected solar power plants.

Component-B: Installation of 20 lakh standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps.

Component-C: Solarisation of 15 Lakh Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps, including through Feeder Level Solarisation.