A 2 MW solar power plant constructed under the Nagpur Metro Rail Project at the Hingna and MIHAN depots in Nagpur has remained idle because the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has not granted operational clearance despite the facility being fully ready since March 2025 and the net-metering application pending since April 2024. The project, built at an estimated public investment of about Rs 7.5 crore based on MahaMetro’s installation cost of around Rs 3.75 crore per MW, cannot generate electricity without approval for net-metering and grid connectivity from MSEDCL.

 

The stalled plant forms part of Nagpur Metro’s solar energy programme planned to reduce dependence on conventional power. At present, the metro system operates about 4 MW of solar capacity which produces nearly 15,000 units of electricity per day, including approximately 3,000 units supplied back to the grid. The additional 2 MW facility was intended to increase renewable energy generation and reduce energy expenditure, but the lack of operational clearance has prevented the system from producing any electricity even though the infrastructure has already been constructed. The delay has also affected future expansion plans. Nearly 3 MW of additional solar capacity planned under the same programme cannot move forward because the 5 MW net-metering regulation applicable to the project has not yet been implemented by MSEDCL.

 

Once installed, the planned capacity would involve an estimated additional investment of around Rs 11.25 crore. Nagpur Metro has set a target of installing about 10 MW of solar capacity by the end of Phase-II, which is expected to meet nearly 50 per cent of Phase-I’s total energy requirement when fully operational. The impasse has effectively left publicly funded infrastructure unused while the metro system continues to purchase electricity from the grid for operations. Both Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation and MSEDCL are Government entities, creating a situation in which a completed renewable energy project funded with public money remains non-functional because of administrative clearance delays. MSEDCL stated that the matter is under process and will be resolved soon, but no timeline has been specified. Nagpur Metro is simultaneously implementing several environmental initiatives during its Phase-II expansion. All 32 stations under construction are being built according to Indian Green Building Council Platinum guidelines. Wastewater generated at stations is planned to be treated and reused, while construction waste is being processed and reused at project sites as part of sustainability measures.

 

 

The dispute over operational clearance for the 2 MW Nagpur Metro solar plant has reached the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) after repeated follow-ups by MahaMetro with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) did not resolve the issue. MahaMetro filed a petition before MERC in April 2025 seeking regulatory intervention to enable the solar facility at the Hingna and MIHAN depots to begin generating electricity.

 

The petition argued that the project was eligible under the 5 MW net-metering regulation notified in 2023 and required implementation of the regulation by MSEDCL. After hearing the matter, MERC directed MSEDCL to apply the 5 MW net-metering regulation to the project and process the approval accordingly. However, the order has not yet been implemented, preventing the solar plant from being connected to the grid and generating electricity. Because the regulatory direction remains pending for implementation, the fully constructed solar facility continues to remain idle even though it has already been declared technically ready. The unresolved status has extended the delay in operationalising the renewable energy project and has also stalled the next phase of solar expansion planned by Nagpur Metro.