Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
GAIL (India) Limited has announced a 100 MW solar power project in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recently likely to accommodate in Bidkin.
With nearly Rs 1 lakh crore invested over the past two-and-a-half years in the Bidkin and Shendra nodes of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), power demand in the region is rising. About 98% of industrial plots in Shendra and Bidkin have been allotted. EV majors such as Toyota Kirloskar Motor, JSW Green Mobility and Ather Energy are setting up units, with construction underway. Vendor firms have also acquired land, while demand for 2,500 additional acres has led the government to initiate acquisition of 8,000 acres for Auric. GAIL, a Navratna PSU, stated on its official X handle that it will develop 700 MW of solar capacity in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra with an investment of Rs 3,800 crore. Of this, 100 MW will come up in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, incorporating a 22 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to address intermittency and ensure 24-hour green power supply.
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Power shortage to ease
CMIA president Utsav Machhar termed the project a matter of pride, stating it will reduce power shortages, provide affordable and clean electricity, and support industrial and export growth in the region
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Land status unclear
“We currently do not have any information regarding land acquisition for the proposed solar power project. If it falls within Auric’s jurisdiction, it is likely to be accommodated in the new phase of the DMIC, possibly in the adjacent nodes of Bidkin.”
- Mahesh Patil, General Manager, Auric.