Telangana aims for the Sun with solar power plans of 4000 MW in four months

The Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TGREDCO) has been appointed as the nodal agency for the implementation of this scheme

Hyderabad: The State government is aiming high on its solar power capacity with plans for installation of solar power panels in agriculture fields to generate 4000 megawatts by March next year.

The move, touted as one to make farmers more self-reliant in their power needs, saw the Energy Department issuing an order allowing the establishment of solar power plants in the farm by the farmers themselves or in partnership with any cooperative, self-help society or company.

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The State government plans to set up solar power plants in farm lands with an installed capacity of 4,000 megawatts by next March. These solar plants would be set up in farm lands under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme of the Centre.

The Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TGREDCO) has been appointed as the nodal agency for the implementation of this scheme.

The Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC) would decide the fixed price for buying electricity generated through solar plants set up in farms.

Beneficiaries will be selected as per the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).The State government has directed TGREDCO to invite applications for selection of interested farmers in coordination with DISCOMS.

The government has asked the Northern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited (TGNPDCL) and Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited (TGSPDCL) to release substation-wise lists to decide in which areas to set up the solar power plants.

The government has given the responsibility to transport power from the farm to the substation, the power line and other infrastructure to the DISCOMs.

If a farmer owns 10 acres of land, he can set up a solar power plant with an installed capacity of 2 MW. It is estimated that the cost of setting up one megawatt power plant will be Rs. 5 crore.

The money for installing solar plants could be borrowed from banks. Gram Panchayat, Primary Agricultural Co-operative Society (PACS), Farmers Producers Association, Water Users Association, Self Help Groups or any other association in the village. The farmers can partner with these associations and install solar plants in their farms.

The farmers can lease the farm to the investing partnership company or organization and sign an agreement with regard to the project. The agreement has to be submitted to DISCOM to transfer the lease amount annually to the land owner’s bank account. TGREDCO would select solar power companies to partner with farmers.

According to officials, selling the electricity produced by these solar plants to the government or private power companies will enable farmers to boost their income.