New Delhi/Leh, Apr 2: The Union Government on Wednesday said that environmental and project assessments for the proposed 13 gigawatt renewable energy projects in Ladakh have been completed, with reports now placed before the Union Territory administration and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council for review.
Responding to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power, Shripad Yesso Naik, said the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) have been finalised. The projects are being executed by Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited under a developer-led model.
The assessment reports, he said, have been shared with the Union Territory administration as well as the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council for further examination, indicating the involvement of local institutions in the appraisal process.
Naik added that a range of technical studies — including aerial drone-based topographic mapping, soil investigations and renewable resource assessments — have also been completed. However, detailed datasets relating to wildlife surveys, land-use mapping, grazing patterns and hydrological baselines have not been placed in the public domain.
He stated that access to such information is governed by considerations of confidentiality, competitive bidding and data sensitivity, adding that relevant material is made available to prospective bidders during the tendering process.
The Ladakh programme forms part of a wider national effort to expand non-fossil fuel capacity, supported by large-scale transmission planning. The Central Electricity Authority has outlined a plan to add 137,500 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 827,600 MVA of substation capacity by 2035-36, with an estimated investment of ₹7.93 trillion.
This expansion is intended to facilitate the integration of up to 900 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity. Under the Green Energy Corridor-II programme, around 20 GW of renewable energy is to be integrated into intra-state networks, while the proposed Green Energy Corridor-III programme envisages evacuation of over 134 GW of renewable power along with 25.2 GW from pumped hydro storage projects.
The proposed transmission additions under GEC-III include over 51,000 circuit kilometres of lines and substations with an aggregate capacity exceeding 228,000 MVA, alongside plans for battery storage capacity of 44.8 GWh.
Within this broader framework, Ladakh has been identified as a region with substantial solar potential. Transmission planning exercises have projected the integration of around 9 GW of renewable capacity from the Union Territory by 2035-36.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has assessed an overall renewable energy potential exceeding 608 GW across various states, with Ladakh and other resource-rich regions forming part of long-term evacuation plans under the interstate transmission system.
Regulatory measures introduced by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, including differentiated supply norms for solar and non-solar hours, are expected to support more efficient utilisation of transmission infrastructure and enable hybrid renewable systems combining solar, wind and storage.
India’s electricity demand is projected to grow steadily, with peak demand estimated to reach 459 GW by 2035-36. Annual consumption is expected to rise correspondingly, necessitating a parallel expansion in grid capacity and storage systems.
The Central Electricity Authority has underscored the need for long-duration storage solutions to maintain grid stability as renewable penetration increases. Pumped hydro storage projects have been identified as a viable option, with a roadmap targeting 100 GW of such capacity by 2034-35 already in place.
The completion of ESIA and DPR for the Ladakh projects marks a preparatory stage ahead of tendering and execution. While timelines for commissioning remain contingent on regulatory clearances and bidding processes, the development signals a calibrated push to harness renewable resources in remote regions.
As the programme moves forward, its implementation is expected to test the balance between infrastructure expansion and environmental considerations in Ladakh’s ecologically sensitive terrain, even as it contributes to the country’s transition towards cleaner energy sources.
