MSRDC Installs Solar Panels on Samruddhi Expressway, Targets 204 MW Renewable Energy

The Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, the state’s landmark expressway connecting Nagpur and Mumbai, is set to go solar as part of an ambitious renewable energy initiative by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

204 MW Clean Energy on Road

The transformation began with the installation of solar panels at strategic locations - Karjalad in Buldhana and Mehkar Interchange in Washim district. These sites are among the first along the 701-kilometre corridor, which has already seen more than 2.5 crore vehicles since its inauguration on December 11, 2022. 

The expressway’s master plan envisioned harnessing clean energy from the outset, with a total of 204 MW of renewable capacity set to be installed along its length.

Clean Energy for Power & Revenue

The green power generated will serve dual purposes: lighting the expressway and feeding the grid under existing power purchase agreements. 

In the initiative’s first phase, Karjalad and Mehkar are together generating 5 MW of solar electricity. 3 MW will come from Karjalad and 2 MW from Mehkar, which began supplying power from Monday. 

The sale of this electricity, governed by an agreement inked in 2022 with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), is priced at INR 3.05 per unit under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana (MSKVY).

Revenue & Carbon Credit Boost for MSRDC

Beyond toll collections and leasing spaces for public amenities, MSRDC expects solar power to unlock new revenue streams on Samruddhi Expressway. 

Carbon credits accrued from clean electricity will further strengthen MSRDC’s financial position, enabling the corporation to leverage profits for further infrastructure borrowing and expansion. Plans are also underway to replicate this solar blueprint at major interchanges of future expressways across Maharashtra.

One only hopes that plans and projections meet execution on the ground, as solar installations at most highways have been some of the worst maintained plants one has seen so far.