MNRE Approved Bihar’s Proposal Under PM KUSUM (Comp-C): Minister

Bihar Pins Hopes On Lakhisarai Solar Project To Increase RE Capacity

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in its latest reply before the Parliament said that the ministry approved the proposal of Bihar under Component C of the PM-KUSUM scheme. MNRE Minister RK Singh in his written statement before the Lok Sabha said that the state had moved an application to the Centre seeking its approval for feeder level solarisation of 1.6 lakh pumps.

The minister earlier in his replies before the Lok Saha had reiterated that PM-KUSUM is a demand-driven scheme where the approvals are granted after the states send in their proposals. As per the records of the ministry, states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have not submitted its applications for Component-B of the scheme which deals with subsidy support for solar pumps in states.

“Under Component C of the PM KUSUM scheme, one proposal for Feeder Level Solarization of 1.6 lakh pumps was approved for Bihar in FY 2022-23. A capacity of 20 MW has been allocated to the State under roof-top solar programme during 2021-2022,” the minister said in a written reply before the Lok Sabha. 

The minister also said that two projects of biomass to power have been sanctioned in Bihar in 2021-22 while another proposal for non bagasse cogeneration project of 14.2 MW capacity has been received under the Biomass Scheme.

As on 30 November 2023, the installed capacity of renewable energy in Bihar is 420.2 MW. This includes 70.7 MW small hydro power, 126.0 MW biopower and 223.5 MW solar power. 

Bihar is meanwhile one of the laggard states in terms of its total renewable energy. BREDA (Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency) had been attributing this to the dearth of land for solar parks and other big projects in the state unlike the renewable rich states of India. 

The state however, had now started to develop several floating solar parks in MW scale to counter the dearth of green power in the state. Besides the feeder level solarisation support under Component C of PM-KUSUM scheme, the state has also eyed the central funds under the RDSS scheme to boost solarisation of agricultural feeders to bring more green energy into irrigation activities.