Solar park projects to drive Uttar Pradesh's green energy road map

The Yogi Adityanath government, under its Solar Energy 2022, is targeting 22,000 Mw of solar capacity

Uttar Pradesh is bolstering its green-energy road map with solar-power projects totalling more than 9,000 megawatts (Mw) across the state. These include 6,000 Mw of ground-mounted solar projects and another 3,410 Mw through solar parks, according to the UP additional chief secretary (energy and alternative energy sources), Narendra Bhushan.

 

Under the Solar Park programme, the UP New and Renewable Energy Development (UPNEDA) has inked three joint ventures with Tusco Ltd, Bundelkhand Solar Energy Ltd, and Lucknow Solar Power Development Corporation Ltd for setting up solar parks.

 

The Yogi Adityanath government, under its Solar Energy 2022 programme, is targeting 22,000 Mw of solar capacity. So far, nearly 2,743 Mw of ground-mounted projects have been commissioned. Another 6,000 Mw of projects are under development.

 

Under the Solar Rooftop Scheme, roughly 687 Mw capacity has been created in the domestic sector, benefitting about 195,000 households. Nearly 1,000 houses are being fitted with solar rooftops every day, making UP the top-ranked state in India in such installations.

 

The state is also accelerating solar-rooftop adoption in government and semi-government buildings through either capital expenditure (capex) or the Renewable Energy Service Company (Resco) model, where consumers pay for electricity without upfront investment.

 

UP is simultaneously giving a fillip to floating solar-power plants and bioenergy projects. Under the Bioenergy Policy 2022, the state has established compressed biogas (CBG) plants with a combined capacity of 230 tonnes per day, the highest in India.

 

Further, one village in each district will be developed as a “Model Solar Village” under a central-government programme, while 17 municipal corporations, including Lucknow and Ayodhya, are being developed as model solar cities. At present, 10 per cent of Ayodhya’s energy needs are being met through solar power.