Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has opened a 71 MWp DC / 52 MW AC solar power plant in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. This is another step toward the company’s goal of using cleaner energy. During India Energy Week (IEW), Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri opened the project.
Sanjay Khanna, Director (Refineries) with additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director; Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing); and D D Sarkar, Chief General Manager (Renewable Energy) were some of the senior BPCL officials who were there for the opening.
Project Scale and Infrastructure Details
The solar power plant covers 210 acres and has about 1.29 lakh solar panels. A 132 kV transmission line connects it to the grid, which makes it easy to move power around.
When the facility is fully operational, it should make 103.61 million units of electricity every year. The Prayagraj plant will make clean energy that will be sent to BPCL’s refineries in Kochi, Bina, and Mumbai. This will help the business use less conventional energy.
Carbon Reduction and Decarbonisation Strategy
According to BPCL, the solar project will lead to an estimated reduction of 75,150 metric tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The initiative is part of BPCL’s broader strategy to decarbonise its refining operations by directly sourcing renewable energy for industrial use.
By integrating large-scale solar power into its energy mix, BPCL aims to improve sustainability while maintaining operational reliability across its refining network.
Expanding Renewable Footprint
In addition to the Prayagraj project, BPCL continues to expand its renewable portfolio. Last year, the company partnered with Volks Energie to develop India’s first solar power plants integrated with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery energy storage systems for oil and gas pipeline operations.
This initiative covers 14 strategic locations across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and is designed to ensure uninterrupted renewable power supply for critical pipeline infrastructure.
Uttar Pradesh’s Growing Solar Role
Uttar Pradesh is slowly becoming a major player in India’s growth in renewable energy. About 2.8 GW of the state’s total 3.8 GW of solar capacity has come from solar projects that are built on the ground.
The Bundelkhand region has been chosen by the state government as a future solar hub, and 17,515 acres of land have been set aside for big projects. The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) says that land has been found in Jalaun, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, and Lalitpur, with Lalitpur having the most land.
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