Vacant defence land at Sitapur to host 250 MW solar-plus-battery storage project

India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, has approved the development of a 250 MW solar power project with an integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) at Sitapur (Ex-Cantonment) in Uttar Pradesh. The project will be developed on around 850 acres of vacant defence land.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), this is the first renewable energy project of its kind undertaken by the ministry, involving the deployment of a utility-scale solar power generation facility with integrated battery storage on defence land.

In addition to strengthening the long-term energy security of the Armed Forces, the project is expected to significantly reduce expenditure on conventional grid power for defence establishments.

State-owned power producer NTPC Ltd is implementing the project through a competitive bid process to realise the most optimal energy pricing and savings for defence establishments. The MoD, NTPC, Army headquarter and Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) will work in close coordination to ensure timely implementation of the project.

“Upon completion, the Sitapur Solar Power Project is expected to emerge as one of the country’s most significant renewable energy projects established on defence land and a benchmark for future solar-plus-storage projects in the defence sector,” stated an MoD release.