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Salient Features |
- Component A:
- Solar energy-based power plants (SEPP) of capacity
500 kW to 2 MW will be setup by individual farmers/ group of
farmers/ cooperatives/ panchayats/ Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO)/Water
User associations (WUA) hereinafter called
Solar Power Generator (SPG).In the above specified entities are not able to
arrange equity required for setting up the
SEPP, they can opt for developing the SEPP through developer(s) or even through
local DISCOM, which will be considered
as SPG in this case.
- DISCOMs will notify sub-station wise surplus
capacity which can be fed from such SEPP to the Grid and shall invite
applications from interested beneficiaries for setting up the solar energy
plants.
- The solar power generated will be purchased by
DISCOMs at a feed-in-tariff (FiT) determined by respective State
Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC).
- DISCOM would be eligible to get PBI @ Rs. 0.40 per
unit purchased or Rs. 6.6 lakh per MW of capacity installed,
whichever is less, for a period of five years from the Commercial Operation Date
(COD).
- Component B:
- Individual farmers will be supported to install
standalone solar Agriculture pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP in
off-grid areas, where grid supply is not available.
- CFA of 30% 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 at-least a subsidy of 30%; and
the remaining at-most 40% will be
provided by the farmer. Bank finance can be availed by farmer, so that farmer
has to initially pay only 10% of the cost
and remaining up to 30% of the cost as loan.
- o In North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA
of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the
stand-alone solar pump will be provided. The
State Government will give at-least subsidy of 30%; and the remaining at-most
20% will be provided by the farmer.
- Component C: Individual Pump Solarisation (IPS)
- Individual farmers having grid connected
agriculture pump will be supported to solarise pumps. Solar PV capacity up to
two times of pump capacity in kW is allowed under the scheme.
- The farmer will be able to use the generated solar
power to meet the irrigation needs and the excess solar power will
be sold to DISCOMs.
- CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender
cost, whichever is lower, of the solar PV component will be provided.
The State Government will give at-least subsidy of 30%; and the remaining
at-most 40% will be provided by the farmer.
Bank finance can be availed by farmer, so that farmer has to initially pay only
10% of the cost and remaining up to 30%
of the cost as loan.
- In North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA
of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower, of the
solar PV component will be provided. The
State Government will give a subsidy of at-least 30%; and the remaining at-most
20% will be provided by the farmer.
- Component C: Feeder Level Solarisation (FLS)
- Instead of the individual solar pumps the states
can solarize the agriculture feeders. Guidelines were issued on
04.12.2020.
- Where agriculture feeders are not separated, loan
for feeder separation may be taken from NABARD or PFC/REC. Further,
assistance for feeder separation may be availed from the Revamped Distribution
Sector Scheme (RDSS) of the Ministry of
Power. However, mixed can also be solarised.
- 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.
- 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 50%
subsidy is available.
- The farmers will get day-time reliable power for
irrigation free of cost or at tariff fixed by their respective state.
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How to avail the financial assistance |
- Component A
- The renewable power generated will be purchased by
DISCOMs at a feed-in-tariff (FiT) approved by respective State Electricity
Regulatory Commission (SERC).
- In case the farmers/ group of farmers/ cooperatives/
panchayats/ Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO)etc. are not able to arrange
equity required for setting up the SEPP, they can opt for developing the SEPP
through developer(s) or even through local DISCOM, which will be considered as
RPG in this case. In such a case, the land owner will get lease rent as mutually
agreed between the parties.
- To avail of the PBI, the Implementing Agencies are
requested to submit their claims for the projects which have been
completed one year post their commissioning date, till 5 years from COD, along
with the Signed Copy of the Joint
Metering Report and Receipt of lease rent paid to the beneficiary/land-owner,
wherever applicable.
- Component B & Component C (IPS)
- State-wise allocation for solar pumps and
solarisation of existing grid-connected pumps will be issued by MNRE, after
approval by a Screening Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary, MNRE.
- On acceptance of the allocated quantity by the
implementation agencies and submission of the detailed proposal as per
MNRE format, within a given time, the final sanction will be issued by MNRE.
- Projects for solarisation or installation of
pumping systems shall be completed within 24 months from the date of
sanction by MNRE. Extension in project completion timelines, up to a maximum
period of three months, will be considered
at the level of Group Head in MNRE and up to 6 months at the level of Secretary
in MNRE on submission of valid reasons
by the implementing agency.
- Funds up to 40% of the applicable CFA for the
sanctioned quantity would be released as advance to the implementing
agency only after placement of letter of award(s) to the selected vendors.
- The balance eligible CFA along with applicable
service charges would be released on acceptance of the Project
Completion Report in the prescribed format, Utilization Certificates as per GFR,
and other related documents by the
Ministry.
- MNRE CFA and State Government’s subsidy will be
adjusted in the system cost and the beneficiary will have to pay only
the remaining balance.
- Component-C (FLS)
- CFA applicable under the FLS can be released in
the following manner wrt CAPEX/ RESCO mode of implementation of the
FLS.
- CAPEX:- Advance CFA up to 40% of the total
eligible CFA will be released to DISCOMs on completion of tendering process
and signing of work agreement with EPC contractor selected for installation of
solar power plant. Balance CFA will be
released on successful commissioning of solar power plant and plant starts
supplying power to agriculture feeder(s).
- RESCO:- No advance CFA. Further, the CFA up to
100% of the total eligible CFA will be released to the RESCO developer
through DISCOM on successful commissioning and declaration of the Commercial
Operation Date (COD) of the solar power
plant.
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