Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has invited tenders for the installation of 500 MW of solar under the Mukhyamantri Saura Shakti Yojana, aimed at solarising existing grid-connected agricultural pumps. According to the tender guidelines, private developers will install solar panels, preferably on barren or non-cultivable agricultural land located close to Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) substations.
Moreover, selected developers will lease land from farmers for 28 years and supply the generated electricity to nearby KPTCL substations, which will then be transmitted to agricultural feeders and existing irrigation pumpsets. BESCOM has set a base land lease rate of Rs 25,000 per acre per year, with the amount increasing by 5 per cent annually. Developers may offer higher rates depending on the proximity of the land to KPTCL substations.
BESCOM will purchase the electricity generated by the selected projects at Rs 3.19 per unit. Additionally, the utility will also enter into 25-year power purchase agreements with the successful bidders.
