PM Gati Shakti: NPG Approves 6 Infra Projects Related to Renewable Energy in Ladakh

The NPG has approved projects related to renewable energy, highways, and railways, according to an official notification. This contains one project from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), three projects from the Ministry of Railways, and two projects from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India.

These projects will be designed utilizing an integrated and holistic strategy based on the PM Gati Shakti principles- minimizing disruptions and assuring timely completion of work while being cost-effective.

The NPG examined a unique proposal in Ladakh to construct an inter-state transmission infrastructure for renewable energy. The MNRE project is an important step towards India's goal of having clean energy by 2030. According to reports, officials have dubbed this a "essential and one-of-a-kind project and a critical milestone in fulfilling the Government of India's goal of obtaining 500 GW capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030."

The Ministry of Power established a high-level group in December 2022, chaired by the Central Electricity Authority, to plan the transmission system needed to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity by 2030. The transmission system plans identified major upcoming non-fossil fuel based generation centres in the country, including the Ladakh Renewable Energy Park, Fatehgarh, Bhadla, Bikaner in Rajasthan, Khavda in Gujarat, Anantapur, Kurnool RE zones in Andhra Pradesh, and offshore wind potentials in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

The Ministry of Railways also suggested three projects. This includes the construction of an elevated railway track for Kanpur Anwarganj-Mandhana, a city logistics project aimed at increasing railway line capacity and improving logistics in the area.

In addition, the ministry suggested building a rail bridge across the Ganga as part of a new railway line connecting Vikramshila and Katareah railway stations. The goal of this project is to improve connectivity for the movement of food grains, cement, coal, and quarry materials to various economic nodes in North Bihar and the Northeast. The initiative intends to expand transportation infrastructure to five rakes per day.

A proposal for the 178.28 km Ajmer-Chittaurgarh railway line, which would largely help Rajasthan's industrial and tribal areas, such as Ajmer, Bhilwara, and Chittaurgarh districts, was reviewed. The PM Gati Shakti NMP was started in October 2021 with the goal of comprehensively integrating the actions of several ministries and departments, as well as resolving bottlenecks to facilitate the seamless movement of people, commodities, and services.

The created NPG will help the Empowered Group of Secretaries, which is led by the cabinet secretary, and will consist of leaders of the network planning branch of different infrastructure ministries. Starting with the planning phase, the group seeks to advise all departments and ministries responsible for the creation of economic zones and connectivity infrastructure, and will play a critical role in the necessary cooperation between the ministries and departments.