Tuesday, March 11, 2014: With leaps of subsidies and encouragements by the government, the renewal energy sources have found a way in cottage industries like tea farms. McLeod Russel India Limited has planned a 100 KW Off-Grid Solar Power Project at Attareekhat Tea Estate (Tangla), in the eastern state of Assam.
McLeod Russel India Limited has tied up with Vikram Solar, manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, for the implementation of 100 KW Off-Grid Solar Power Project at Attareekhat Tea Estate. The project is expected to become operational by April, this year.
This solar system (with battery back-up) has received 30 per cent subsidy from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. The company is further in talks with various tea estates in Assam and West Bengal government for installing solar facility.
According to an ET report, KK Baheti, chief financial officer of Mcleod Russel India Ltd said, “We are doing solar project in one of the tea gardens and will see how this shapes up.”
Gyanesh Chaudhary, managing director & CEO, Vikram Solar said, “By setting up this plant with McLeod Russel, Vikram Solar has expressed its confidence in bringing solar power to north-east India and eradicate the myth that north-east India is not suitable for solar power plants.”
The tea gardens in Assam have been facing unsettled power supply from the grid, with only 60 per cent of total electricity requirement is supplied by the state run power sector utility. The remaining 40 per cent is compensated via generators or gensets.
The power generated from gensets in the tea estates, are levied 10 paise duty per unit. Rajiv Yadav CMD of Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) said, “Assam comes under the medium radiation level, which means solar is workable.” APDCL supplies per unit power at Rs 5.70 to tea estates. However, in gensets, the per unit cost comes to Rs 17.
Assam’s per-capita power consumption is 290 Kwh, which is far below national average of 890 KWh per capita. Assam has nearly 800 big tea estates, around 100,000 small tea growers that produce approximately 618 million Kg, yearly.
