Mahasamruddhi Renewable Energy Limited (MREL) has planned 38 EV charging stations on Samruddhi e-way. Going a step ahead, the company is also eyeing setting up of 44 MW solar power plants alongside the expressway. The aim is to provide green power to these charging stations, ensuring a total pollution-free push on one of the newest expressways of the country. As of now, on an average, the traffic count of vehicles on the 701 km e-way has reached 40,000 vehicles daily. The new solar power plants will be ground mounted for which Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the parent company of MREL, would tap the ample land available along the Samruddhi Expressway, said the officials working on the project.

 

The two projects are in line with Maharashtra Government policy to promote renewable energy, it aligns with the national goal of eliminating harmful emissions by year 2070. Already, 9 MW of solar energy project has been commissioned on the e-way, they are at the inter-change, one at Karanja (Lad) in Washim district (3 MW) and other one at Mehkar, Buldhana District (2 MW) are functional. These photo voltaic units are at present mounted on roofs of toll booths at these inter-change. The larger aim of MSRDC is to go for generation of 204 MW of solar capacity and in next step, now the 44 MW is coming up at an identified location.

 

Most of the new solar units would come up in Vidarbha, part of E-way where maximum sunny days are assured compared to Mumbai region. The probable sites identified by MERCL for new solar units are Inter-Change 2 - Butibori (2 MW), IC 5- Arvi Pulgaon (10 MW), IC 10 -Malegaon Jahangir (32 MW) and the power would be evacuated through 33/11 KV Gumgaon substation, 33/11 KV Rohana and 132/33 Pulgaon sub-stations, 33/11 kV Dongarkihi-132/33 kV Karanja Lad-132/33 Malegaon plus 220/132 sub-stations respectively.

 

The decision to set up charging stations fits in the policy as, in the rapidly evolving electric vehicles market in the country, most of the new vehicles are equipped with powerful batteries offering driving for long range. So the EV stations on e-way would provide worry free drives for the EV users. In fact, Samruddhi Mahamarg is the first such e-way in the country to have integrated solar energy generation in place compared to other such highways in the country. At present, MREL is selling the surplus solar power generated on Samruddhi e-way to MSEDCL at a cost of Rs 3.10.