GAIL India Limited has approved an investment of around ₹3800 crore to set up a large solar power project with battery storage in Uttar Pradesh, marking a strong push into the renewable energy space.
A 600 MW PV solar power plant will be built on farmland as a completely new project in Jhansi, India. A separate component of the project will include the integration of 550 MWh of batteries to store surpluses of solar generated energy for use when generation is lower than expected. This will help create more consistent and predictable energy outputs from this project on the grid.
This is a big jump for GAIL, which currently has a relatively small renewable portfolio. With just about 29 MW of solar capacity so far, this single project significantly increases its presence in the solar segment. It also shows the company’s intent to move beyond its core natural gas business and become a serious player in clean energy.
The company plans to complete the project within about 15 months after awarding the EPC contract. It has already started the process of appointing a Project Management Consultant (PMC) to oversee design, construction, and execution.
Apart from this solar project, GAIL is also expanding into other renewable areas. It has recently approved a 178 MW wind project in Maharashtra and is working on a 17.5 MW floating solar project. These developments are part of its larger strategy to build a diversified clean energy portfolio.
This project uses a solar power generation and battery storage method that is becoming increasingly popular. Adding battery storage to solar power generation allows the delivery of solar electricity even when there is no solar energy available to produce electricity.
In addition to this project being a step toward more reliable energy sources and being grid-ready, GAIL is also investing in the project because of its long-term sustainability goals. GAIL has committed to achieve net zero emissions for the operation of its facilities by 2035; GAIL’s goal for this project is to develop approximately 3.4 GW of renewable energy and 1,000 MWh of energy storage.
With this project, GAIL is not just adding capacity but also taking a step toward becoming a more future-ready energy company in India’s fast-changing power sector.
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