Through Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), the Union Power Ministry has taken up the initiative of accelerating the programme of agriculture demand side management (AgDSM). The ministry has earmarked ₹400 crore for the project. The programme is aimed at replacing inefficient agriculture pumps with energy-efficient, IoT-enabled pumps, free of cost to farmers with free maintenance for five years.
According to Statistics available, there are over two crore pump sets used in farms across the country at present and over five lakh new pump sets are added each year. The annual consumption of electricity by these pumps is put at 173.2 billion units.
The pilot phase of the AgDSM programme has been rolled out in Andhra Pradesh, involving replacement of one lakh old pump sets with BEE five-star rated energy efficient pumpsets along with smart control panels.
Coimbatore-based fluid management solutions provider CRI Pumps has bagged a ₹150-crore order from EESL for the implementation of the AgDSM programme in Andhra Pradesh.
The project will cover over 40,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh, G Soundararajan, Vice-Chairman, CRI Group, said.
“Low-cost or free electricity coupled with high inefficiencies has resulted in a massive wastage of water and high energy consumption. The implementation of AgDSM is crucial as electricity bills for agricultural pump sets are paid by the government in the form of subsidy,” said Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL.
Stating that this order follows the pilot project initiated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in Maharashtra almost eight years ago, Soundararajan said, “We were then the only company to do it. It was implemented in Solapur district.”
According to Soundarajan, CRI Pumps has bagged the order for supply of over 43,000 IoT-enabled pumps. “We have supplied 18,000 pumps so far,” he said.
The company is targeting a turnover of ₹2,600 crore this fiscal against ₹1,850 crore last year. “Our vision for 2022 is ₹5,000 crore and we are on track,” he said.
Shashi Kant, Regional Manager and Deputy General Manager, EESL said that around 15 lakh inefficient pumps would be replaced in Andhra Pradesh over the next few years. “The programme aims to save 349 million units a year, saving ₹139.60 crore for the Government. The project runs for five years,” he said.
