Land has been identified for setting up 4,800 MW of solar energy-producing plants in Anantapur district and very soon acquisition notices will be given to private landholders at five places ahead of floating tenders for executing the projects in Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) model.
Owing to lack of power supply during day time at some places in Anantapur district, farmers like Ravindra of Rachanapalli in Anantapur Rural mandal have set up their own solar units to run motors from borewells to irrigate their horticulture crops through drip irrigation.
Against this background, the State government proposes to supply free power for eight hours, preferably during day time, to farmers all over the State and has initiated this massive exercise of producing solar power on a large scale.
These turnkey projects are part of the State government’s wish to set up 10,000 MW of production capacity in Anantapur, Kurnool, Kadapa, and Prakasam districts through AP Green Energy Corporation Limited (APGECL).
A major chunk of it will be produced at five places in Anantapur district and for that 40,000 acres have been earmarked by the Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NEDCAP). The district administration will hold gram sabhas and give acquisition notices to assignees and pattadars, who will be offered ₹25,000 per acre per annum in tune with the Renewable Energy Export Policy.
This type of policy was not implemented with regard to the Nambulapoolakunta NTPC 1000 MW solar power project site, and the landowners there have been demanding similar compensation.
NEDCAP Project Director G. Harinath Babu told The Hindu that Vooruchintala village near Tadipatri was identified for setting up 800 MW project, 1,000 MW in nine villages of Mudigubba mandal, another 3,000 MW projects in Amaduguru, Nallamada and Obuldevaracheruvu mandals.
The APGECL can lease the project land to solar power developers at a rate of ₹31,000 per acre per annum.
Progress of other projects
Meanwhile, work on 750 MW solar power project, being executed at N.P. Kunta by three foreign developers in the district, is progressing at a very slow pace due to political interference for subletting of contracts there. Another project proposed at Ramagiri more than two years ago for solar/wind power production and 10 MW storage (batteries) has not made any progress.