So far, 11 MW of solar canal bank and canal top projects have been commissioned in India. These projects are part of the MNRE’s program to develop 100 MW of grid-connected solar PV power projects on canal banks and canal tops throughout the country.

Projects under this program, which was launched in financial year 2014-15, are under development in eight different states (50 MW – Canal Banks and 50 MW – Canal Tops), including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Project capacities range from a minimum of 1 MW to a maximum of 10 MW.

The MNRE is providing a subsidy of Rs.30 million (~$0.45 million)/MW of installed capacity for canal bank projects and a subsidy of Rs.1.5 million (~$0.22 million)/MW of installed capacity for canal top projects.

An official at Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), the program manager on behalf of MNRE, said, “by end of November another 5 MW will be commissioned; the project has already been synchronized.” The official also said that by end of the current financial year, projects totaling 75 MW will be commissioned. A 10 MW project in Karnataka will be commissioned by December 2017 and a 15 MW project in Punjab will be commissioned in 2018 due to technical delays.

Once the entire 100 MW are commissioned, the MNRE will launch the next phase of the Canal Top and Canal Bank program.

Image Credit: Sun Edison