The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued a tender for setting up agricultural solar pumps in selected states pan-India under component-B of the PM-KUSUM scheme of the renewable energy ministry. The scope of work under this includes designing, manufacturing, supply, transport, installation, testing, and commissioning of off-grid solar PV water pumping systems of 1-10 HP capacities in selected states on pan-India basis. This will also include complete system warranty, and its repair and maintenance for five years.
“Individual farmers will be supported to install standalone solar agriculture pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP for replacement of existing diesel agriculture pumps and irrigation systems in off-grid areas, where grid supply is not available. Installation of new pumps will be permitted under this scheme except in dark zone areas,” said the SECI tender document. It added that preference will be given to the farmers using micro irrigation
systems and said that it will be mandatory to use indigenously manufactured solar panels with indigenous solar cells and modules for the projects. “At present, over 30 million agricultural pumps are installed in India, out of which nearly 10 million pumps are diesel based. The discoms are not in a position to energise these pumps through grid connection as seen from the long waiting lists with such companies. Hence there is a need to provide energy to these pumps through solar energy,” said the document. Over 20 million grid-connected agriculture water pumps installed in the country consume more than 17 per cent of total annual electricity consumption of the country. Solarisation of the same can reduce dependence of these pumps on conventional sources of energy supplied by discoms and thus reduce their burden of subsidy on agriculture consumption of electricity.
This will also provide an additional source of income to farmers who will be in a position to sell the surplus power to discoms. India has committed to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil fuel sources to 40 per cent by 2030. It is planned to replace agriculture diesel pumps with solar water pumps and solarise grid-connected agriculture pumps. “The bidders will be free to avail fiscal incentives like accelerated depreciation, concessional customs and excise duties, tax holidays etc. The same will not have any bearing on comparison of bids for selection,” said SECI in its tender document.
It added that pumps of capacity higher than 7.5 HP may be allowed, however, the central financial assistance (CFA) will be limited to the CFA applicable for pumps of 7.5 HP. Water user associations and community, state, UT-based irrigation systems will also be covered under this component. CFA of 30 per cent of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the stand alone solar agriculture pump will be provided. The state government will give a subsidy of 30 per cent; and the remaining 40 per cent will be provided by the farmer.
