Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (RJP)
Bengaluru: Mar 11: The state energy department has been considering replacing the irrigation pump sets with new energy-efficient electrical motors under a new power-saving scheme. These motors, with a capacity up to 10 HP, supplied free of cost to the farmers through the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), are expected to save energy and also cut power purchase costs in the state. Will this measure solve the existing electricity shortage in the state? Let us have a look at facts and figures.
As per a report published by Deccan Herald, there are approximately 25 lac irrigation pump sets in the state at present. The government had announced subsidy of Rs 6,200 crore for these pump sets in the budget for 2015-16.
Each proposed new pump costs Rs 40,000. The money spent on the pumps will be recovered by EESL through the energy saved and tariff subsidy, states the report.
EESL is a joint venture of National Thermal Power Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.
The report in Deccan Herald states that EESL had done a pilot project in Hubballi and Mysuru districts where the results showed that 37% energy can be saved with the introduction of energy saving pumps. During the pilot project, 86 lac kilowatt-hour (kwh) of energy was saved by replacing 2,000 old pumps with the new energy saving ones. The savings in terms of cash was Rs 4 crore.
The state is expected to save 1.075 crore mega watt-hour of energy, if 25 lac old sets are replaced with proposed new ones, the report states. The monetary savings is expected to be at around Rs 4,300 crore which is a very significant amount by all standards.
The benefits from new energy savings sets also include reduction in transmission and distribution losses due to installation of capacitor banks with control panels, lesser transformer burnouts and line tripping. There is also no need to upgrade existing transformers since load is reduced.
EESL has plans to introduce new energy plan in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra with a target of 70 lac new energy saving pump sets.
Plans are good, let's hope the implementation will also be good.