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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the establishment of a 250 MW solar power project with an integrated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, marking the Ministry of Defence's first large-scale renewable energy project to be developed on defence land.
The project will come up on around 850 acres of vacant defence land at the former Sitapur Cantonment and is expected to strengthen energy security for defence establishments across Uttar Pradesh while reducing dependence on conventional sources of power. The Ministry of Defence said the initiative forms part of its broader effort to optimise the use of vacant defence land while advancing clean energy and sustainability goals.
The project will be implemented by NTPC Ltd through a competitive bidding process aimed at securing the most efficient power pricing and maximising long-term savings for defence establishments. The Ministry said the solar facility, backed by battery energy storage, is expected to generate significant savings in electricity expenditure over its operational life while ensuring a more reliable power supply.
Officials described the initiative as a convergence of national security, energy security and environmental sustainability. The project will be executed in coordination with the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) and the Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE).
The approval comes as the government accelerates efforts to expand renewable energy capacity and improve energy resilience across strategic infrastructure. Battery storage is expected to play a key role in ensuring round-the-clock availability of power generated from renewable sources.
Also Read: NTPC seeks technology solutions partners for its sub-critical thermal units to operate at lower load
According to the Ministry of Defence, the Sitapur project is expected to emerge as one of India's most significant renewable energy facilities established on defence land. It is also expected to serve as a benchmark for future solar-plus-storage projects across the defence sector, potentially paving the way for similar initiatives on other parcels of vacant defence land across the country.
The Ministry said all stakeholders will work closely to ensure timely implementation of the project.
The project will come up on around 850 acres of vacant defence land at the former Sitapur Cantonment and is expected to strengthen energy security for defence establishments across Uttar Pradesh while reducing dependence on conventional sources of power. The Ministry of Defence said the initiative forms part of its broader effort to optimise the use of vacant defence land while advancing clean energy and sustainability goals.
The project will be implemented by NTPC Ltd through a competitive bidding process aimed at securing the most efficient power pricing and maximising long-term savings for defence establishments. The Ministry said the solar facility, backed by battery energy storage, is expected to generate significant savings in electricity expenditure over its operational life while ensuring a more reliable power supply.
Officials described the initiative as a convergence of national security, energy security and environmental sustainability. The project will be executed in coordination with the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) and the Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE).
The approval comes as the government accelerates efforts to expand renewable energy capacity and improve energy resilience across strategic infrastructure. Battery storage is expected to play a key role in ensuring round-the-clock availability of power generated from renewable sources.
Also Read: NTPC seeks technology solutions partners for its sub-critical thermal units to operate at lower load
According to the Ministry of Defence, the Sitapur project is expected to emerge as one of India's most significant renewable energy facilities established on defence land. It is also expected to serve as a benchmark for future solar-plus-storage projects across the defence sector, potentially paving the way for similar initiatives on other parcels of vacant defence land across the country.
The Ministry said all stakeholders will work closely to ensure timely implementation of the project.
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