Indian state-owned energy company GAIL will invest INR38 billion (US$408 million) to develop 700MW of solar projects across Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The investment includes a 600MW solar project at the TUSCO Solar Park in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, which will be integrated with a 550MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
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GAIL expects to complete the project within 15 months following the award of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. The facility is primarily intended to meet the captive energy requirements of GAIL’s petrochemical plant at Pata in the Auraiya district.
In Maharashtra, the company will develop an additional 100MW solar project in the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district. This project will include a 22MWh BESS and is designed to serve the captive energy needs of the PDH-PP plant at Usar in the Raigad district.
According to GAIL, the integration of energy storage systems is expected to address intermittency challenges associated with solar generation, enabling more reliable and round-the-clock renewable power supply.
Speaking on the development, Deepak Gupta, chairman, said: “GAIL’s installed renewable energy capacity shall increase substantially to over 1,000MW from the current 147MW upon commissioning of these projects.” He added that the expansion reflects the company’s strategy of aligning growth with environmental responsibility while supporting long-term energy security.
The projects form part of GAIL’s broader efforts to achieve its net zero targets and contribute to India’s energy transition. GAIL currently operates approximately 29MW of solar capacity at full utilisation, alongside around 118MW of wind assets.
The company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio of up to 3.4GW by 2035, while pursuing reductions in scope one and scope two emissions as part of its ambition to achieve net zero by 2040.
