BHOPAL: The central Indian state dedicated nearly one gigawatt of clean energy capacity to the nation with the inauguration of the 500 MW Neemuch Solar Park and the 450 MW Shajapur Solar Park. Monday, June 29, 2026, was a historic day for Madhya Pradesh in terms of renewable energy.
Later in the evening, the state signed the Power Purchase Agreement for the Morena Solar + Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Bhopal.
The inauguration of the Neemuch and Shajapur solar parks has added 950 MW of clean energy capacity to the national grid, marking another significant milestone in Madhya Pradesh’s renewable energy journey that began with the landmark Rewa Solar Project.
The Agar-Shajapur-Neemuch (ASN) Solar Project is supplying clean electricity to Indian Railways, while the Rewa Solar Project continues to provide renewable power to the Delhi Metro. These projects have positioned Madhya Pradesh as a national leader in innovative renewable energy models.
The projects have been developed by reputed developers including NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, Tata Power and Waaree Energies. Their successful implementation reflects excellent coordination among project developers, the state government, transmission agencies, financial institutions and local administration. Besides generating clean energy, these projects have created employment opportunities, strengthened infrastructure and accelerated local economic activity.
The signing of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for India’s first-of-its-kind 440 MW Morena Solar + Battery Energy Storage System project represents a significant advancement in India’s energy transition, combining renewable power generation with energy storage to ensure reliable electricity supply.
The project has achieved India’s most competitive tariff of Rs 2.70 per unit, lower than the previous national benchmark for projects of this category. The historic tariff was discovered after nearly 12 hours of competitive bidding involving 16 leading national and international companies.
A key innovation of the project is its battery utilisation model, under which the same battery will be charged and discharged twice a day. This significantly enhances battery productivity while reducing energy storage costs, making renewable energy with battery storage increasingly economical and commercially viable.
The state, often considered the heart of the country, is now moving beyond merely increasing installed renewable energy capacity and is placing greater emphasis on ensuring reliable and round-the-clock power availability. Energy storage has become a central pillar of the state’s long-term energy strategy.
In line with the vision announced by the state’s Chief Minister, Dr Mohan Yadav, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the state has already floated tenders for renewable energy projects integrated with four-hour and six-hour energy storage systems, receiving an enthusiastic response from the industry. The state is also progressing towards India’s leading 24×7 round-the-clock renewable energy project, with the pre-bid meeting scheduled for 1 July 2026.
Under the state’s 4,022 MW Feeder Solarisation Programme, a record-low tariff of Rs 2.40 per unit has been achieved. The programme will ensure reliable, high-quality daytime electricity supply for farmers, significantly improving rural livelihoods and agricultural productivity.
Several solar, wind, battery energy storage and pumped storage projects are currently at various stages of implementation across the state. The state has set a target of developing more than 20,000 MW of additional renewable energy capacity over the coming years.
The successful execution of these projects and the signing of the Power Purchase Agreement reaffirm Madhya Pradesh’s leadership in providing clean, affordable and reliable energy while contributing significantly to India’s energy security, green growth and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
While addressing the PPA signing ceremony for the country’s first-of-its-kind 440 MW Morena Solar + Storage project in Bhopal, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said the agreement, along with the inauguration of two major solar parks, marks a significant milestone in India’s renewable energy journey. He termed the project another major achievement for Madhya Pradesh in advancing clean energy generation and energy self-reliance.
“Madhya Pradesh has delivered remarkable achievements in renewable energy. While every state is working in the renewable energy sector, Madhya Pradesh is progressing at the fastest pace. New renewable energy projects are transforming the state’s energy landscape while generating employment, strengthening infrastructure and stimulating economic activity. Although Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are also making significant progress, Madhya Pradesh’s achievements stand out for their scale and innovation,” the Union Minister said, while lauding the state’s rapid progress in the renewable energy sphere.
“Madhya Pradesh is breaking its own records in renewable energy and emerging as the country’s leading state in the sector. The state must now accelerate the installation of solar systems on government buildings under the PM Solar Park initiative. I am confident that all government buildings in the state will be solarised within one year,” Joshi said.
While maintaining that Madhya Pradesh was committed to achieving new milestones in renewable energy, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav described the Morena Solar Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project as a game-changing initiative and said it is a matter of pride for every citizen of the state, particularly the people of the Gwalior-Chambal region.
“The project has achieved a highly competitive tariff of just Rs 2.70 per unit, the lowest ever discovered in India and even lower than the previous national benchmark for projects in this category,” Yadav said.
He also highlighted the project’s innovative battery model, under which a single battery can be utilised twice daily, significantly enhancing efficiency. Yadav also described the inauguration of the Neemuch and Shajapur Solar Parks as another historic milestone for Madhya Pradesh in the renewable energy sector.
