MNRE Scales up PM-KUSUM Scheme to Achieve Enhanced Solar Targets

Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Issues Tender for 347 MW Solar Projects Under PM-KUSUM

MNRE has received sanction from the president for scale-up and expansion of the PM-KUSUM scheme to achieve an enhanced solar capacity of 30.8 GW by 2022

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced that in continuation of its order from March 2019, regarding the approval of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Uthaan Mahabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM) scheme, it has received sanction from the president for scale-up and expansion of the scheme to achieve enhanced solar capacity of 30.8 GW by 2022 with revised Central Financial Assistance (CFA).

The CFA for achieving the new targets has been revised to Rs 34,035 crore.

The revised targets under the three components of the scheme are as follows:

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1. Component A: 10,000 MW of decentralised ground-mounted grid-connected solar power plants of individual plant size up to 2 MW.
2. Component B: Installation of 20 lakh standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP.
3. Component C: Solarisation of 15 lakh grid-connected agricultural pumps of individual pump capacity up o 7.5 HP including through feeder level solarisation.

The targets initially were to add solar and other renewable capacities of 25,750 MW by 2022 with the total central financial support of Rs. 34,422 Crore.

And the three components were:

1. Component A: 10,000 MW of decentralized ground-mounted grid-connected renewable power plants of individual plant size up to 2 MW.
2. Component B: Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP and
3. Component C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh grid-connected agricultural pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.

As per the Ministry notification, the scaled-up targets will be implemented for the year 2020-21 and external evaluation based further implementation will be considered thereafter.

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The scheme will continue to be implemented as per the implementation guidelines and amendments thereof issued by MNRE from time to time. Guidelines for implementation of feeder Leven level solarisation under Component-C will be issued separately.

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In September, the MNRE had proposed to soon initiate the centralised tendering process for the current year target of 4.5 lakh standalone solar pumps under the Component B of the PM-KUSUM Scheme. In line with this, it had also invited comments and suggestions from industry stakeholders on the tendering process.

The MNRE stated that suggestions have been invited on issues like eligibility for participation in the tender, technical and financial requirements, number of vendors to be empaneled for each category, cluster wise bidding, the minimum capacity to be allocated to the lowest bidder, provisions for MSMEs, etc.

This had been done because in the first year, for the target of installation of 1.75 lakh solar pumps, centralised tendering was conducted by EESL and the installations for the projects are currently under progress. However, during the implementation of the first-year target the Ministry claims that it had received certain feedbacks on issues being faced by the vendors/ implementing agencies and those are being examined for suitable incorporating in the implementation process for the current year target.

[Updated Nov 11]