NHPC targets 1,190 MW solar buildout by November 2027

NHPC has six solar projects under construction totaling 1,190 MW, with estimated capital costs of Rs 6,901.47 crore and commissioning scheduled from December 2026 to November 2027, while its subsidiary is developing a separate 1,200 MW solar park in Uttar Pradesh for March 2028 at Rs 796.96 crore of park-infrastructure cost.

What solar projects is NHPC constructing?

NHPC is constructing six solar projects across Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala, totaling 1,190 MW at an estimated capital cost of Rs 6,901.47 crore. The largest single project is the 600 MW grid-connected solar project in Gujarat under the CPSU scheme, budgeted at Rs 4,194.89 crore and scheduled for commissioning in November 2027.

Gujarat accounts for 1,000 MW of the 1,190 MW construction portfolio through two 200 MW Khavda projects and the 600 MW project. The remaining 190 MW comprises a 100 MW Andhra Pradesh project, a 40 MW Ganjam project in Odisha and a 50 MW floating solar project at West Kallada in Kerala.

The 40 MW Ganjam project is the smallest asset by capacity and has the lowest listed project cost, Rs 147.91 crore. The 50 MW Kerala floating project has an estimated cost of Rs 255.92 crore, and its Rs 3.04 per unit ceiling tariff is the highest tariff listed across the six projects.

When will NHPC's solar projects be commissioned and at what tariffs?

NHPC expects its first listed solar commissioning in December 2026 for the 200 MW Khavda stage-1 project, with the final listed commissioning in November 2027 for the 600 MW Gujarat project. The schedules therefore span 11 months, with the Andhra Pradesh project due in January 2027, the Odisha and Kerala projects in March 2027, and Khavda stage 3 in September 2027.

Listed tariffs range from Rs 2.45 per unit to Rs 3.04 per unit. The Rs 2.45 per unit tariff applies to both the 100 MW Andhra Pradesh project and 600 MW Gujarat project, while the two 200 MW Khavda projects differ: stage 1 is listed at Rs 2.73 per unit and stage 3 at Rs 2.66 per unit.

Contracting arrangements are already specified for every project. A power purchase agreement, or PPA, was signed with GUVNL on 10 August 2023 for the first 200 MW Khavda project and on 27 June 2024 for the second 200 MW Khavda project; the 40 MW Odisha project received a supplementary PPA with GRIDCO on 29 June 2024, while the 50 MW Kerala project signed a PPA with KSEBL on 8 April 2025.

For the 100 MW Andhra Pradesh project, a power usage agreement for the full capacity was signed with WB Discom on 23 November 2022. The 600 MW Gujarat project has power usage agreements covering 500 MW with Telangana distribution companies dated 28 March 2023 and 100 MW with PSPCL in Punjab dated 16 May 2023.

How is NHPC's 1,200 MW Uttar Pradesh solar park structured?

NHPC's subsidiary is developing the 1,200 MW Jalaun solar park in Uttar Pradesh under the Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park programme, with park infrastructure estimated at Rs 796.96 crore and a March 2028 commissioning schedule. This amount covers infrastructure development only, rather than the generation projects that may be located within the park.

The subsidiary's disclosure records work awards issued on 30 June 2026 for all 1,200 MW. Coal India Ltd. received 600 MW at Madhogarh at Rs 2.73 per unit, while NLC Renewable India Ltd. received 300 MW at Pathrahi and 300 MW at Orai, each at Rs 2.74 per unit.

The park also has terms of reference signed on 30 January 2023 with Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. and North Central Railways for the sale of 1,405 million units of power under an optimum scheduling mode. The disclosure says the subsidiary is exploring a solar-plus-battery energy storage system, or BESS, and that a BESS tender will be floated shortly for a PPA with a distribution company for BESS power.

What does the combined solar commitment show?

NHPC reports Rs 7,698.43 crore of estimated capital cost when the Rs 6,901.47 crore construction portfolio and the Rs 796.96 crore Uttar Pradesh park-infrastructure cost are combined. The 1,190 MW total shown alongside that combined cost relates to the six NHPC construction projects, because the 1,200 MW park is shown without installed capacity in the total-capacity line.

The distinction matters because the Uttar Pradesh park's 1,200 MW title describes the planned solar park, whereas its disclosed Rs 796.96 crore cost is limited to infrastructure. By comparison, the 1,190 MW construction portfolio has project-level capital costs, tariffs and commissioning schedules for each of its six generating projects.

The contracting record also differs by asset type. NHPC's construction projects list signed PPAs or power usage agreements, while the Uttar Pradesh park disclosure lists work awards at Rs 2.73 and Rs 2.74 per unit, plus the 1,405 million-unit railway arrangement and a proposed BESS tender.

Conclusion

NHPC's disclosed solar construction programme consists of 1,190 MW across six projects costing Rs 6,901.47 crore, led by the 600 MW Gujarat project at Rs 4,194.89 crore. The separate 1,200 MW Jalaun park adds Rs 796.96 crore of infrastructure development and brings the stated combined capital-cost figure to Rs 7,698.43 crore, but it is not included in the reported 1,190 MW construction total.

The next disclosed milestones are the December 2026 commissioning target for the first 200 MW Khavda project, the November 2027 target for the final 600 MW Gujarat project, and the March 2028 target for the Jalaun park. NHPC's subsidiary also plans to float a BESS tender shortly, while the solar-plus-BESS configuration remains under exploration.