Aimed at catering to its captive power consumption, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) plans to establish a solar power generation project along the Samruddhi Mahamarg. This initiative will see solar power being adopted at various MSRDC offices in Mumbai, including Nepean Sea Road and Bandra Reclamation, as well as in Pune, Nashik, and Aurangabad.
The solar power will also be utilised at tunnels and interchanges on existing highways. Upcoming highways like the Mumbai-Pune missing link and Samruddhi Mahamarg Igatpuri tunnels, wayside amenities, and other locations will also see the use of solar power.
Mahasamruddhi Renewable Energy Ltd (MREL) — the special purpose vehicle of MSRDC — intends to leverage available unused space along the Samruddhi Mahamarg to install renewable energy equipment, with a focus to maximise efficiency and the utilisation of land through innovative concepts.
“This new proposed project aims to generate 150 to 200 megawatts of solar power, which will not only illuminate the Samruddhi Mahamarg but also other existing and upcoming highways developed by MSRDC. This move is expected to significantly reduce monthly power bills, which currently range from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh of each interchange open for traffic on Samruddhi Mahamarg, along with savings at tunnels on the Missing Link Expressway and Samruddhi Mahamarg where electricity consumption is high,” said Manuj Jindal, joint managing director, MSRDC.
The MREL also floated a request for proposal (RFP) to appoint a consultant to conduct a feasibility study, prepare a detailed project report and manage the bid process until a concession agreement is signed with the selected bidder to execute the project. The initiative also includes exploring different models for solar energy consumption, such as net metering, where solar energy system owners receive credits for electricity they contribute to the grid.
However, the final model will be chosen based on the consultant’s recommendations, as per the MREL. An official said though an internal assessment study was conducted on MSRDC’s captive power consumption, to make it formal, a detailed project report (DPR) has to be made for which the consultant needs to be appointed for further action.
This green energy initiative will also contribute to reducing carbon footprint and transforming the Samruddhi Mahamarg into a green corridor. Furthermore, the MSRDC had previously conducted a DPR in 2021 for a solar power project at Samruddhi Mahamarg’s interchanges.
The official said a peer review study of the available DPR will be conducted separately, as it can serve as a potential revenue stream model. Additionally, the 9MW solar power project at two interchanges on Samruddhi Mahamarg — at Bhilkheda village in Washim district and at Faizalapur/Sabra in Buldhana district, for which a tender was issued for the appointment of a contractor in October 2022 — is now in the process of appointing a contractor.
Although there was initially no response, two bidders have since shown interest, and financial and technical evaluations of both are underway. Under this scheme, MRECL has signed an agreement with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd for grid interconnections, the official said.
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