UP: Solar Energy Hub in Making, Solar Expressway and Solar Park to Generate Electricity
Uttar Pradesh is gearing up to become a solar energy hub. The state is rapidly advancing in the solar energy sector. The country’s first solar expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, is nearing completion. Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has been tasked with acquiring 1500 hectares of land on both sides of the expressway.
The mega project, with a capacity of 550 megawatts, will power one lakh homes. Additionally, Alpex Solar is setting up a solar cell manufacturing plant in Mathura with an investment of Rs 642 crore.
Under the Solar Energy Policy, the UP government aims to generate 22,000 megawatts of electricity by 2027. Twelve companies have expressed interest in investing in solar parks. The solar park will be developed under the ‘Build, Own, Operate’ (BOO) model.
Several major projects are underway in the state, including the solar expressway and solar park. The solar park’s land is located between Chitrakoot and Etawah, spanning 296 kilometers along the expressway. The project, worth Rs 2500 crore, has received cabinet approval.
Nine solar parks are being developed in the state, with a total solar production capacity of 3710 megawatts. Three solar parks, with a capacity of 435 megawatts, are near completion, while bidding processes are ongoing for the remaining six parks. Land allocation for all nine solar parks has been completed.
Solar parks are being set up in Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Chitrakoot, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Mirzapur, and Prayagraj.
