A project shall be eligible for being considered to be based on renewable sources of energy on the fulfillment of the following criteria:-
(a) Wind power project.– using new wind turbine renewable energy generators.
(b) Small hydro project.– located at the sites approved by the State Government or its agency; using new plant and machinery; and the installed power plant capacity to be lower than or equal to 25 MW at single location.
(c) Biomass power project based on Rankine cycle technology .- Biomass power projects using new plant and machinery based on Rankine cycle technology and using biomass fuel sources, provided use of fossil fuel is restricted only up to 15% of total fuel consumption on annual basis.
(d) Non-fossil fuel based co-generation project.- The project shall qualify to be termed as a non-fossil fuel based co-generation project, if it is using new plant and machinery and is in accordance with the definition and also meets the qualifying requirement outlined below:- Topping cycle mode of co-generation – Any facility that uses non-fossil fuel input for the power generation and also utilises the thermal energy generated for useful heat applications in other industrial activities simultaneously:
Compendium of HPERC Regulations, March 2021 7
Provided that for the co-generation facility to qualify under topping cycle mode, the sum of useful power output and one half the useful thermal output be greater than 45% of the facility’s energy consumption, during season.
Explanation. - For the purposes of this clause-
(i) ‘Useful power output’ is the gross electrical output from the renewable energy generator. There will be an auxiliary consumption in the cogeneration plant itself (e.g. the boiler feed pump and the FD/ID fans).
In order to compute the net power output it would be necessary to subtract the auxiliary consumption from the gross output. For simplicity of calculation, the useful power output is defined as the gross electricity (kWh) output from the renewable energy generator.
(ii) ‘Useful thermal output’ is the useful heat (steam) that is provided to the process by the cogeneration facility.
(iii) ‘Energy consumption’ of the facility is the useful energy input that is supplied by the fuel (normally bagasse or other such biomass fuel).
(iv) ‘topping cycle’ means a cogeneration process in which thermal energy produces electricity followed by useful heat application in industrial activities.
(e) Solar PV and Solar Thermal Power Project. – Based on Technologies approved by the MNRE.
(f) Biomass Gasifier based Power Project.– The project shall qualify to be termed as a biomass gasifier based power project, if it is using new plant and machinery and having a grid connected system that uses 100% producer gas engine, coupled with gasifier technologies approved by the MNRE.
(g) Biogas based Power Project.– The project shall qualify to be termed as a biogas based power project, if it is using new plant and machinery and having grid connected system that uses 100% biogas fired engine, coupled with biogas technology for co-digesting agriculture residues, manure and other bio-waste as may be approved by the MNRE.
1 [(h) ‘Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) based power projects’- the project shall qualify to be termed as a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) based power project, if it is using new plant and machinery based on Rankine cycle technology and using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as fuel sources; and
(i) ‘Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) based power projects’- the project shall qualify to be termed as a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) based power project, if it is using new plant and machinery based on Rankine cycle technology and using Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) as fuel sources.]
1 Ins. clauses “(h) and (i)” vide Not. No. HPERC/428 dated 11 th April, 2016 published in the R.H.P.
dated 13 th April, 2016 at p. 235-237.
8 Compendium of HPERC Regulations, March 2021
CHAPTER-II PROMOTION OF GENERATION FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES