Portuguese 
Spanish 
6 min of reading 
0 comments 
Road corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur has started integrating solar panels in side areas and interchanges, with electricity generation already initiated and expansion plan in selected points of the expressway, without transforming the asphalt into a photovoltaic surface used by vehicles.
The Samruddhi Mahamarg, a 701 km expressway connecting Mumbai to Nagpur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, has begun generating solar energy in areas associated with the road corridor, with 5 MW already in operation and an expansion plan for 204 MW.
Conducted by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, known by the acronym MSRDC, the initiative uses side spaces, interchanges, slopes, and idle lands of one of the longest road links in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Unlike solar pavement experiences, the project does not foresee the installation of panels on the track used by vehicles, but in available areas of the road infrastructure itself, which reduces direct interference with heavy traffic.
-
India is preparing three underwater tunnels of 2.5 km in the Arabian Sea to capture ocean water and create a mega plant capable of producing 200 million liters per day in Mumbai.
-
Chestnuts seem rich in minerals, but a study by Unifesp simulated human digestion and showed that the body only absorbs part of the copper and magnesium.
-
FBI sets up a “fake city” with a hospital, hotel, houses, market, traffic lights, and data center to train agents against cyberattacks as if a digital crisis were truly happening.
-
New technology starts monitoring 300,000 hectares in Mato Grosso do Sul in an initiative by Suzano that combines sensors, continuous monitoring, and advanced data analysis, allowing for quick identification of threats and enhancing regional environmental protection.
The proposal brings the model closer to conventional photovoltaic plants, by positioning the modules in points associated with the highway, without requiring the equipment to withstand the weight, braking, and daily wear of vehicles.
How the solar corridor works on the Samruddhi Mahamarg
According to The Times of India, initial generation began on the Monday prior to the publication of September 23, 2025, with 3 MW in Karanja Lad, in the Washim district, and 2 MW at the Mehkar interchange, in Buldhana.
Although the installed capacity of the first phase was set at 9 MW at these two points, the generation effectively started totals 5 MW, within a program that foresees gradual expansion along the expressway.
The larger plan of the MSRDC aims to reach 204 MW in different interchanges along the Samruddhi Mahamarg, as the stages are implemented in selected areas of the road infrastructure.
The electricity produced is sold to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, the MSEDCL, through Mahasamruddhi Renewable Energy Ltd., a special purpose company linked to the MSRDC.
According to the Indian press, the contract related to the energy supply was signed in 2022 and is part of the arrangement used by the MSRDC to transform areas of the highway into renewable generation points.
According to the disclosed model, the tariff offered by the corporation is 3.05 rupees per unit, within the first phase of the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana program, aimed at providing solar energy in the state of Maharashtra.
Solar energy for tunnels and power grid
Part of the solar energy generated is to be used in the operation of road infrastructure, including tunnel lighting on the Samruddhi Mahamarg and the section known as the missing link of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, according to MSRDC sources interviewed by The Times of India.
The production also supplies the power grid through power purchase agreements, adding a source of revenue to the highway’s operation model, in addition to tolls, concessions, and public funds.
The MSRDC also expects to obtain carbon credits with renewable generation, according to information attributed by the Indian press to the corporation itself and representatives involved in the project.
Manuj Jindal, joint managing director of the corporation, told The Times of India that the initiative represents a milestone for the company and could strengthen fundraising for new infrastructure projects.
Why the model avoids panels on the asphalt
The installation of panels on the margins and interchanges differentiates the Indian initiative from projects that attempted to transform the rolling surface into a photovoltaic area, a solution that requires adaptation to severe road use conditions.
On high-speed highways, the pavement needs to withstand tires, braking, vibration, dirt, accumulated water, and constant maintenance, factors that make the operation of modules at the same level as the track more complex.
Off the rolling surface, the modules are less exposed to direct mechanical wear and can be positioned to receive better solar incidence, according to the terrain orientation and installation conditions.
This arrangement also allows for conditions closer to those adopted in a traditional solar plant, with space for ventilation, cleaning, and technical maintenance, without subjecting the equipment to daily vehicle traffic.
Authorities interviewed by the Hindustan Times stated that the orientation of the Samruddhi Expressway favors the installation of the equipment because, in the Nagpur-Mumbai direction, the left side of the road faces south.
According to the same assessment reported by the newspaper, this position is considered suitable for increasing solar exposure in that region, which helps explain the choice of specific sections to receive the equipment.
The same report stated that the MSRDC is also studying combining solar panels with wind turbines in areas of the expressway, in a stage still dependent on studies and modeling.
The proposal under analysis considers the use of natural winds and the air displacement generated by high-speed vehicles, but there is still no secure confirmation of commercial implementation of this solution.
Highway between Mumbai and Nagpur gains function beyond transportation
The Samruddhi Mahamarg is officially called the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg and connects Nagpur, in eastern Maharashtra, to the Mumbai metropolitan region.
By connecting industrial, agricultural, and urban areas of the state, the expressway has also started to receive a complementary use related to power generation, with the installation of solar modules in areas integrated into the road corridor.
According to the Hindustan Times, the corridor was implemented in stages: a 520 km stretch was inaugurated in December 2022, followed by new releases in May 2023 and March 2024.
The opening of the final 76 km stretch to Amane, near Thane, took place on June 5, 2025, completing the planned connection of the expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur.
With solar generation, the highway also functions as a distributed energy platform, a term used to describe structures that concentrate power generation at different points of the same infrastructure.
Support areas, margins, interchanges, and side lanes, which usually have limited use due to safety and occupancy restrictions, receive a productive function within the public planning of the highway.
This type of implementation reduces the need to open large new areas solely for renewable generation by utilizing spaces already incorporated into a large-scale road project.
In practice, the model uses locations with access, maintenance possibilities, and connection to planned electrical systems, characteristics that help enable the operation of solar generation equipment.
The adoption of solar energy in existing structures also appears in other formats, such as parking lots, noise barriers, rest areas, terminal covers, railways, and logistics corridors.
In the Indian case, the planned scale for a hundreds-of-kilometers expressway places the Samruddhi Mahamarg among examples of energy use associated with major transport corridors.
The goal of 204 MW does not mean that the entire highway is covered by panels, but that the implementation should occur gradually at selected points along the route.
At this stage, the generation of 5 MW functions as the initial stage of a larger renewable energy program, with sales to the power grid and partial use in road infrastructure.
The road retains its function as a transportation axis but also concentrates power generation, operational lighting, energy sales, and potential environmental revenue, according to the model released by MSRDC and the Indian press.
Be the first to react!