Tata Power, SunEdison among 11 submit bids for installing agri-solar pumps in Maharashtra

MahaVitaran expects to award contract within a month

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MahaVitaran) has received 11 bids for the installation of agriculture solar pumps.  The bidder include Tata Power, Jain Irrigation, SunEdison, Claro Energy, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), AR Solar, Premier Solar, Lubi Electronics, Raudra Technocrats, Shakti Group and Sant Gajanan Techno Invention.

MahaVitaran is expected to short list the bidders by weekend and award contract within a month to those who fulfil technical parameters, including certification of the ministry of new and renewable energy and an experience of installation of 100 pumps.

MahaVitaran official told the Business Standard: ''The successful bidders will have to install 7,500 agriculture solar pumps in the villages where the number of farmers suicides is quite high. These villages fall in 14 zones and from Buldhana, Akila, Amravati, Washi, Yavatmal and Wardha. The proposed contract is under the state's ambitious project to install in all five  lakh agriculture solar pumps in  phases.  There are 3.8 million electrical agriculture pumps as on date in the state and the government proposes to replace them by solar pumps.The project envisages a total investment of Rs 25,000 crore.''

The official admitted the installation of solar pumps replacing electrical ones will help reduce  government's annual subsidy of Rs 10,000 crore, given to MahaVitaran for providing power to agriculture consumers at the subsidised tariff.

According to the official, the installation pf agriculture solar pumps especially in remote and mofussil areas which will also help contain the transmission and distribution losses.