PM-KUSUM scheme
In Andhra Pradesh, registered aqua farmers can leverage the PM-KUSUM Scheme to drastically reduce high electricity costs for aquaculture operations by installing subsidized solar-powered pump sets. Farmers can also benefit from feeder-level solarization and establish decentralized grid-connected solar power plants to generate and sell excess electricity. The scheme is heavily subsidized to lower the financial burden on farmers for setting up solar infrastructure:
– Standalone Solar Pumps (Component-B): The central and state governments provide a subsidy of up to 60% of the total cost. You can secure a loan for 30% of the cost, leaving you to pay only 10% upfront.
– Solarization of Grid-Connected Pumps (Component-C): If your aquaculture pumps are already connected to the power grid, you can install solar panels to run them during the day and sell excess power back to the grid to create a supplementary income.
– Ground-Mounted Power Plants (Component-A): Farmers can set up large grid-connected solar power plants on barren or fallow land to generate power and sell it to the DISCOM under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)