Madhya Pradesh Hopes To Be Major Energy Exporter Using Green Power

Madhya Pradesh, one of the states that has managed to shrug off an indifferent renewable record over the past three years to emerge as a renewable hotspot in India, has set a high target for 2030. The state hopes to add 20,000 MW of renewable energy, mostly solar power, to become a significant energy exporter to the national grid.

In the news recently for the award of LOA’s for what will potentially be among the world’s largest floating solar plants at the Omkareshwar reservoir on the Narmada, Madhya Pradesh has made rapid progress in the past 2-3 years thanks to some long term decisions it took. Key was a JV between the state and SECI, to form RUMSL, which has been the key agency to initiate large solar projects in the state since then. The SECI connect has helped the state to jump through teething issues with its contracts and tendering and conduct successful auctions far more regularly than many other states, especially UP, Bihar, and others in the East.

MP has been a major backer of solar power since 2018, and currently, most of its 5500 MW of renewable energy is solar power.

Besides its large projects, the state is also counting on a quick push from 500 MW KUSUM A projects ( grid connected solar projects upto 2 MW) and 1250 MW from Kusum C projects (grid connected solar water pumps).

The recent big projects that have been awarded include the 1500 MW Agar-Shajapur-Neemuch solar park, besides the 600 MW Omkareshwar projects of course. Both these should be up by 2024. There is also a 950 MW storage project at Chattarpur, besides a 750 MW Hybrid project.

A key plan in the works includes a 1400 MW solar project in the Chambal region, one of the state’s most backward districts where the government hopes the solar plant will add to the efforts to revitalise the area.