Mumbai, Sept. 4 -- Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL), part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG), has entered into a power purchase agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to procure 50 megawatts (MW) of solar power paired with a battery energy storage system (BESS). The project marks CPDL's first capacity connected through the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) and is expected to form part of SECI's ISTS Tranche XX. The arrangement is intended to integrate renewable capacity into the city's grid and to strengthen supply reliability.
Under the 25 year agreement CPDL plans to use solar generation primarily to meet daytime demand while the battery system will store excess electricity and discharge during night and other deficit periods to balance the load. The procurement is projected to deliver around 135 million (mn) units annually and to reduce emissions by over 96 tonnes (t) of carbon dioxide each year. The combination of solar and storage is presented as a mechanism to smooth variable output and support peak management.
The ISTS framework enables electricity generated in one region to be supplied to another through the national transmission network and the PPA follows standard interstate commercial arrangements. CPDL's statement outlined the operational intent and the planned contribution to the city's clean energy mix without providing detailed commissioning timelines. The contract tenure and interstate connectivity are intended to provide long term certainty for dispatch and billing.
The RPSG acquisition of the power distribution and retail supply business of the Electricity Wing of the Engineering Department, Chandigarh (EWEDC) took effect from one February 2025 and EWEDC's business has been transferred to CPDL. Post acquisition operations have been taken over by Eminent Electricity Distribution Limited (EEDL), a subsidiary of CESC Limited, making CPDL a fully owned entity of EEDL. The company indicated the move is designed to improve distribution services and to increase the share of renewable energy in Chandigarh's supply.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.