CABINET APPROVES LAUNCH OF KISAN URJA SURAKSHA EVAM UTTHAAN MAHABHIYAN

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved launch of Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) with the objective of providing financial and water security to farmers. The proposed scheme consists of three components:

-Component-A: 10,000 MW of decentralized ground mounted grid
connected renewable power plants.
-Component-B: Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone solar-powered
agriculture pumps.
-Component-C: Solarization of 10 lakh grid-connected solar-powered
agriculture pumps.

All three components combined, the scheme aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022. The total central financial support provided under the scheme would be 34,422 crore. The Component-A and Component-C will be implemented on pilot mode for 1,000 MW capacity and one lakh grid connected agriculture pumps respectively and thereafter, will be scale-up on success of pilot run. Component-B will be implemented in full-fedged manner. Under Component-A, renewable power plants of capacity 500 kW to 2 MW will be set up by individual farmers/ cooperatives/ panchayats/ farmer producer organizations (FPO) on their barren or cultivable lands. The power generated will be purchased by the DISCOMs at Feed in tariffs determined by respective SERC. The scheme will open a stable and continuous source of income to the rural land owners. Performance-based incentives @ 0.40 per unit for five years would be provided to DISCOMs. Under Component-B, individual farmers will be supported to install standalone solar pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP. Solar PV capacity in kW equal to the pump capacity in HP is allowed under the scheme. Under Component-C of the scheme, individual farmers will be supported to solarize pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP. 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 energy to meet the irrigation needs and the excess available energy will be sold to DISCOM. This will help to create an avenue for extra income to the farmers, and for the States to meet their RPO targets.

The scheme will have substantial environmental impact in terms of savings of CO2 emissions. All three components of the scheme combined together are likely to result in saving of about 27 million tonnes of CO2 emission per annum. Further, Component-B of the scheme on standalone solar pumps may result in saving of 1.2 billion litres of diesel per annum and associated savings in the foreign exchange due to reduction of import of crude oil.

Source: http://www.pib.gov.in/