16,000 SOLAR PUMPS APPROVED FOR C’GARH DURING 2016-17: CENTRE

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had sanctioned a total of 16,000 solar pumps for irrigation and drinking water purposes in Chhattisgarh during the current financial year as on October 31, 2016, the Central government has informed. The Ministry had sanctioned no solar pumps in the State during the last financial year 2015-16 while it had sanctioned 4740 solar pumps in 2014-15. A total of 90,710 solar pumps have been installed throughout the country as on October 31, 2016. The remaining pumps are at various stages of implementation, officials informed. Notably, Chhattisgarh will procure additional power from renewable energy sources to the tune of approximately 700 MW by FY 2018, officials informed.

With this the average power purchase cost for Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Ltd (CSPDCL) based on the above power availability will increase from 2.58 Rs/kWh in FY 2015-16 to 3.12 Rs/kWh in FY 2018, they informed. The rates have been derived based on cost of power at existing rates and considering no escalation in power purchase cost since it is passing through for the distribution company. Notably, Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) has invested Rs 400 crores during last 11 years in developing infrastructure for solar power generation which had resulted in 40 MW of electricity being generated from non conventional energy sources. The agency will be installing a total of 10,000 submersible and surface solar photo voltaic (SPV) irrigation pumps in farm lands soon across the State.

The SPV Pumps shall be provided with lightening and over voltage protection. The principal aim in this protection is to reduce the over voltage to a tolerable value before it reaches the PV or other sub-systems components. The source of over voltage can be lightening or any other atmospheric disturbance, officials informed. Notably, the State government has already commenced preparation for setting up 51,000 solar powered irrigation pumps in a span of two-and-half-years in the State. The government has set the target of setting up 11,000 solar pumps in the current financial year till March 2017 and the rest during the next two years. Notably, Chhattisgarh government is also planning to add 2640 MW of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19, officials informed.

The State currently has total renewable energy potential of 4,500 MW which includes solar (grid connected and roof top), wind biomass and small hydro. It may be recalled that there are significantly more number of villages which are to be electrified in Chhattisgarh using the off-grid (solar) mode than the grid-based (conventional power supply) mode. As per the latest data available with the Union Ministry of Power, a total of 543 villages have to be electrified under ‘off-grid’ mode compared to 101 through the conventional power supply grid as on May 31, 2016. The State will soon also launch a ‘Solar Community Irrigation Project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the State. The pipeline extension project to be executed by CREDA would be undertaken shortly, officials informed.

Chhattisgarh is planning to add 2640 MW of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19, officials informed. The State currently has total renewable energy potential of 4,500 MW which includes solar (grid connected and roof top), wind biomass and small hydro. The State has also planned to install solar powered pump sets for agriculture consumers which will benefit 16,000 consumers. It may be recalled that there are significantly more number of villages which are to be electrified in Chhattisgarh using the off-grid (solar) mode than the grid-based (conventional power supply) mode. As per the latest data available with the Union Ministry of Power, a total of 543 villages have to be electrified under ‘off-grid’ mode compared to 101 through the conventional power supply grid as on May 31, 2016.

The State will soon also launch a ‘Solar Community Irrigation Project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the State. Notably, the State government has already commenced preparation for setting up 51,000 solar powered irrigation pumps in a span of two-and-half-years in the State. The government has set the target of setting up 11,000 solar pumps in the current financial year till March 2017 and the rest during the next two years. Notably, Chhattisgarh government is planning to add 2640 MW of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19, officials informed. The State currently has total renewable energy potential of 4,500 MW which includes solar (grid connected and roof top), wind biomass and small hydro.

The State has also planned to install solar powered pump sets for agriculture consumers which will benefit 16,000 consumers. It may be recalled that there are significantly more number of villages which are to be electrified in Chhattisgarh using the off-grid (solar) mode than the grid-based (conventional power supply) mode. As per the latest data available with the Union Ministry of Power, a total of 543 villages have to be electrified under ‘off-grid’ mode compared to 101 through the conventional power supply grid as on May 31, 2016. The State will soon also launch a ‘Solar Community Irrigation Project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the State.

The pipeline extension project to be executed by Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency ) would be undertaken shortly, officials informed. Chhattisgarh has targetted solar power capacity addition in the range of 500 to 1000 MW by March 2017 as per the State’s Solar Energy Policy 2012, the Union Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has informed. Chhattisgarh is among the leading States for implementing bio-mass power projects such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, according to Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Chhattisgarh had biomass projects generating a total of 249 MW of power as on March 31, 2015.

The total power generation from biomass projects by 12 other states during the aforesaid period in Megawatts is as follows- Andhra Pradesh ( 288), Gujarat ( 30.50), Haryana ( 13.50), Karnataka ( 107.50), Madhya Pradesh (26), Maharshtra ( 198), Odisha ( 20), Punjab ( 68.50), Rajasthan ( 101), Tamil Nadu ( 211.70), Uttar Pradesh ( 54) and West Bengal ( 26). The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Eenergy provides Central Financial Assistance at the rate of Rs 25.00 lakh per Mega Watt in special category States and Rs 20 lakh per Mega Watt for other States with a cap of Rs. 1.50 crore per project. Chhattisgarh produced 527.63 lakh cubic meters of bio-gas from family type bio-gas plants and large bio-gas plants in the entire State during the 11th Five Year Plan period.

The estimated State-wise production of bio-gas from family type bio-gas plants and large biogas plants installed in the country under different programmes of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) during the 11th Five Year Plan period is as follows (in lakh cubic metres): Andhra Pradesh (9969.60), Assam(1616.33) Bihar (2325.94) Goa (71.83) Gujarat (8731.94) Haryana (1112.13) Himachal Pradesh (842.47) Jammu & Kashmir (47.44) Jharkhand (107.19) Karnataka (8213.62) Kerala (2399.30) Madhya Pradesh (5713.25) Maharashtra(15297.74) Manipur (38.80) Meghalaya (146.30) Mizoram (72.40) Nagaland (95.83) Odisha (4402.65) Punjab (2966.70) Rajasthan (1235.30) Sikkim (144.66) Tamil Nadu (5261.66) Tripura (53.25 )Uttar Pradesh(7765.80) Uttarakhand (531.37) West Bengal (6213.70).

Source:Dailypioneer