MSRDC initiates steps to make Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Expressway a renewable energy-generating corridor
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, which constructed the expressway, has prepared plans to mount hybrid energy systems -- including a mix of solar panels and wind turbines -- along the route.
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Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) constructed the expressway in four phases between December 2022 and June 2025. (File)Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, also known as the Samruddhi Expressway, will soon be utilised as a renewable energy corridor.
The 701-km corridor, one of Maharashtra’s biggest infrastructure projects, will now serve as an energy source beyond being only a fast link between Mumbai and Nagpur.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which constructed the expressway in four phases between December 2022 and June 2025, has now prepared plans to mount hybrid energy systems along the expressway route. These will be a mix of solar panels and wind turbines on available land along the embankments.
According to MSRDC, a special-purpose vehicle, Mahasamruddhi Renewable Energy Limited, has been formed to execute the project.
“The project is planned to produce 150 to 200 MW of solar power in the initial phase. The power generated will be utilised for meeting the expressway’s own needs, such as lighting, tunnels, and interchanges,” an officer told The Indian Express. The project was announced by authorities during the inauguration of the final stretch of the expressway in June and is now being executed.
Officers explained that the orientation of the corridor supports solar generation, as the left side when travelling from Nagpur to Mumbai consistently faces south. This maximises the sunlight exposure, an important parameter for greater power generation.
Besides solar panels, there is also a plan to use wind turbines. “Natural wind speed as well as the draft generated by speeding cars would be able to generate the conditions required in order to produce power,” the officer said, adding that the method would enable beneficial use of otherwise vacant lots along the expressway.
The project will be built through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) scheme. Private builders will be invited to design, install, and run the facilities before finally handing them over to the government.
MSRDC has initiated the process of hiring a renewable energy consultant. The appointed agency will develop a feasibility study, make detailed project reports, and monitor the implementation. The consultant will also be responsible for proposing construction techniques, minimising costs, and advising on technologies to maximise output.
Officers feel the plan for renewable energy would make the Samruddhi Corridor a model for the integration of clean energy production with transport infrastructure.
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