AP Pushes 1,162mw Solarisation Drive Under PM-KUSUM

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has directed officials to complete all 228 feeder-level solarisation (FLS) projects, being implemented under the Centre’s flagship PM-KUSUM Component-C scheme, by December this year.

This is seen as a major push towards green energy and reliable daytime power supply for the agriculture sector.

Special Chief Secretary to energy, K Vijayanand, reviewed the progress of the projects at a high-level meeting at the secretariat on Wednesday.

The projects, with a combined installed capacity of 1,162.80mw, are being executed across the jurisdictions of APSPDCL, APEPDCL, APCPDCL and Kuppam RESCO.

Senior officials, including discom CMDs Siva Sankar Lotheti, Prithvi Tej Immadi, P Pulla Reddy and NEDCAP managing director Kamalakara Babu, attended the review meeting along with engineers, project developers and discom representatives.

The review focused on land acquisition, civil works, procurement of materials and compliance measures required for securing central financial assistance.

Addressing officials, Vijayanand said feeder-level solarisation was a critical renewable energy initiative aimed at reducing dependence on conventional power sources while ensuring a stable daytime electricity supply for agriculture. The scheme would also improve the financial health of discoms and strengthen the state’s long-term energy security.

He warned that delays beyond the stipulated timelines could result in the loss of central fund support. Officials must expedite the civil works and speed up material mobilisation.

In the APCPDCL limits, 55 solar plants with a total capacity of 191.50mw are under implementation. Land acquisition has been completed for 50 plants, achieving 91 per cent progress. Palnadu and NTR districts have achieved full land acquisition, while Prakasam and Bapatla districts recorded 87 per cent and 83 per cent respectively. Grading works have reached 58 per cent completion and purchase orders have been issued for 12 plants.

In the APEPDCL region, 32 plants with a capacity of 220.30mw are under execution, with 93 per cent of land acquisition completed. Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Parvathipuram, Manyam and Kakinada districts have achieved 100 per cent land acquisition. Grading works stand at 41 per cent and piling works at 16 per cent.

Meanwhile, in APSPDCL and Kuppam RESCO areas, 141 plants with a capacity of 751mw are being implemented. Grading works have reached 67 per cent completion, while piling and foundation works stand at 35 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.