New Delhi, June 9 (NVI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the establishment of a 250 MW solar power project with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on around 850 acres of vacant defence land at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
The project, the first large-scale renewable energy initiative of its kind on defence land, aims to enhance energy security for defence establishments, promote clean energy and ensure optimum utilisation of unused defence land.
According to the ministry, the solar-plus-storage project will help reduce dependence on conventional power sources and generate significant long-term savings in electricity expenditure for defence installations across Uttar Pradesh.
The project will be implemented by NTPC Limited through a competitive bidding process to secure optimal energy pricing. It will be executed in coordination with the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) and the Directorate General Defence Estates.
The ministry said the initiative represents a convergence of national security, energy security, technological innovation and environmental sustainability, while supporting the government’s broader clean energy goals.
Once completed, the Sitapur project is expected to be among the country’s most significant renewable energy ventures developed on defence land and serve as a benchmark for future solar and energy storage projects in the defence sector.(NVI)
