The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) has embarked on an innovative strategy to set up solar parks on dry lakebeds around Bengaluru, aiming to add 250β300 MW of capacity by December 2025.
π Whatβs Going On
- Under the central governmentβs Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan MahabhiyanβC (KUSUMβC) scheme, BESCOM is tasked with solarising agricultural feeders. The company selected dry and degraded lakebeds (that are βpermanently dryβ) for developing solar units of ~5β6 MW each.
- Four such projects are already commissioned; construction is underway at 15β20 more sites around Bengaluru.
- The broader target for BESCOMβs area is 1,588 MW (1,088 MW in progress, 500 MW in pipeline) under KUSUM-C statewide target of 3,900 MW.
β Why It Matters
- Land scarcity challenge: Bengaluruβs rising real-estate prices and limited govt land had made solar park expansion difficult. BESCOMβs use of unused lakebeds helps bypass that bottleneck.
- Dual benefit: Repurposes degraded lands + rapidly scales solar capacity in a high-demand region.
- Agri feeder focus: Provides daytime solar power to farmers, which can reduce reliance on diesel pumps and grid supply.
β οΈ Risks & Considerations
- The lakebeds selected are those not part of future rejuvenation projects. BESCOM asserts that only the permanently dry portions are used, and installations are temporary/dismantlable.
- Maintenance, connectivity, and grid-integration will be criticalβprocuring land is only one part; ensuring stable output & integration is another.
- Timeline: December 2025 is the set target for 250β300 MW, which is very tight.
π― What Comes Next
- BESCOM plans to commission solar plants at 50 locations in its area by the deadline.
- Monitoring will likely focus on: site activation, actual MW delivered, impact on agricultural feed-in and farmer power supply, grid stability.
- Policymakers will watch how transferable this approach is to other congested urban-peripheral areas in India facing land constraints.