MEIL Solar Energy, a subsidiary of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures (MEIL), has signed power purchase agreements with Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) to supply 618.1 MW of power from 76 solar power projects of varying capacities under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program.

The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company (RESCO) model.

MEIL Solar Energy will develop the associated 11 kV line to connect the projects with the substations and undertake the project’s operation and maintenance for 25 years.

The tender was floated in January last year.

The project’s scheduled commercial operation date must be achieved within nine months of the signing of the power purchase agreement. MEIL Solar Energy should obtain power evacuation approval.

During the first ten years, the minimum generation should be at least 15% of the declared capacity utilization factor (CUF) of the power project. After ten years, it should be at least 20% of the CUF.

BESCOM has stated that developers must use solar modules from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers.

The maximum eligible central financial assistance will be ₹10.5 million (~$124,862 )/MW, even if the project cost/MW is more than the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s estimation.

Under Component C of the PM KUSUM program, the government aims to solarize 1 million grid-connected agriculture pumps of individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.

Last year, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development invited bids for the installation and commissioning of grid-connected distributed solar power systems to solarize agricultural feeders covering 75,000 individual pump sets under Component C of the PM-KUSUM program.

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