Uttar Pradesh mulls ₹5,500 crore investment in green energy infra

To meet the estimated energy storage requirements of 53,000 megawatt-hour (MWh) by 2035-36, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is mulling an investment of ₹5,500 crore to ramp up the state’s green energy infrastructure.

 

Under the plan, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) will equip its six thermal power plants in Anpara, Obra, Harduaganj, Panki, Parichha, and Jawaharpur with battery storage units to supply power during non-solar hours.

 

The proposal is part of the resource adequacy plan drawn by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL).

 

The project will meet 8 per cent of the state’s projected energy demand, and provide a  robust in-state source of power at peak hours, thus strengthening energy security.

  

“Battery storage would let us deliver green power in non-solar hours, when the state needs it most, and reduces the need to buy costly power,” according to UPRVUNL Managing Director, Mayur Maheshwari.

 

UPRVUNL has land, switchyards, and the evacuation infrastructure for the proposed battery energy storage systems at its thermal stations to charge during off-peak hours and deliver power when demand peaks.

 

The feasibility study, drafted by the IIT-Banaras Hindu University, has assessed 500 MWh at Anpara, 100 MWh at Obra and 150 MWh each at Harduaganj, Panki and Parichha. The Jawaharpur grid entails a mammoth 3,200 MWh, thus taking the combined energy capacity to 4,250 MWh.

 

It corresponds to 8 per cent of the projected requirement of 52,977 MWh of additional energy storage, as estimated by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in its Resource Adequacy Report for UP (2026-27 to 2035-36).

 

Moreover, the storage batteries will strengthen 24×7 energy security, support the grid, and help units operate at minimum technical load as mandated by the CEA.

 

“The initiative supports Viksit Bharat and UP Vision 2047, and contributes to the state’s $1 trillion economy goal by strengthening clean energy, energy security and sustainable growth,” Maheshwari added.

 

The report titled ‘Powering Uttar Pradesh’s Green Economy: Jobs, Skills and Entrepreneurship’ by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology has urged the UP government to align skilling with the green economy.

 

UP’s green economy is estimated to support 780,000 jobs by 2035, spanning renewable energy, green hydrogen, electric mobility, recycling, agroforestry, and forest restoration. Renewable energy offers the potential of 200,000 direct jobs in operations and maintenance domains.