Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat to get 60% power from ₹450 crore solar plant; when will it start? What does the agreement say?

NCRTC has signed a power purchase agreement for a 110 MW solar project to supply 60% of electricity for the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor. The ₹450 crore facility in Uttar Pradesh is expected to cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by 1.77 lakh tonnes annually.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has entered into a power purchase agreement for a 110 MW solar power project that is expected to supply nearly 60% of the electricity needed for the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, according to a statement issued on Saturday.

The solar facility, which is estimated to involve an investment of around ₹450 crore, will be developed at Jaulan in Uttar Pradesh and is likely to become operational within 24 months.

Electricity generated by the plant will be transmitted through the Uttar Pradesh state grid to NCRTC substations in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, from where it will be supplied along the Namo Bharat corridor.

Under the agreement, NCRTC will purchase electricity generated by the solar plant at a predetermined tariff for a period of 25 years. The pact is intended to make the corridor’s energy costs more stable while cutting its reliance on electricity generated through conventional sources, as per PTI.

Power expenses currently account for around 30-35% of the Namo Bharat corridor’s overall operating costs.

According to NCRTC, the captive solar project could bring down its annual electricity spending by about 25%. The facility is also expected to help cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.77 lakh tonnes every year, along with reducing pollutants including nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide.

The power purchase agreement was signed by the NCRTC and NIRL NCRTC Renewables Ltd (NNRL), a joint venture between NCRTC and NIRL, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Neyveli Lignite Corporation, as per the statement.

NCRTC stated the project is being developed as a renewable energy initiative for regional rapid transit and metro networks across India. It added that the project could serve as a template for incorporating captive renewable energy into urban and regional public transport systems.

Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat crosses 4 crore passenger journeys; daily ridership nears 1 lakh

Meanwhile, ridership on the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor has continued to grow since the full route became operational in February this year. The corridor now records around one lakh passenger trips each day, taking its total ridership beyond four crore journeys, according to NCRTC.

The transport corporation said daily ridership reached a record high of more than 1.68 lakh passengers on August 28, when Raksha Bandhan was celebrated.

The agreement-signing ceremony was attended by NCRTC Managing Director Shalabh Goel, NIRL Director Finance and designated CMD Prasanna Kumar Acharya, NCRTC Director Finance Namita Mehrotra, and Director of Electricals and Rolling Stock Mahendra Kumar.

Ghaziabad-Jewar corridor to feature 11 Namo Bharat and 18 metro stations, says NCRTC

In other news, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida International Airport are among the locations identified for Namo Bharat stations on the proposed 72.44-km Ghaziabad-Jewar corridor, based on station details released by the NCRTC.

The planned route will have 11 stations for Namo Bharat services and 18 stations offering metro connectivity. This will enable passengers to use both regional rapid transit and metro services while travelling between Ghaziabad, Noida and the airport.

However, the project is currently in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation stage, according to an official.

The Ghaziabad-Jewar corridor will extend 72.44 km, linking Ghaziabad station on the existing Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor with Noida International Airport in Jewar. Around 71.5 km of the route is planned to be elevated, while the remaining 1.29 km will run underground, NCRTC said.

(With inputs from agency)

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X

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