The Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg (HHBTMSM), popularly known as the Samruddhi Expressway, is set to become more than a high-speed corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur. Soon, it will also double as a renewable energy hub.The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has launched plans to install hybrid power systems—solar panels paired with wind turbines—along the 701-km stretch. A special purpose vehicle, Mahasamruddhi Renewable Energy Limited, has been incorporated to implement the project.The initiative targets 150–200 MW of solar power generation, reducing electricity costs for expressway lighting, tunnels, and interchanges. It also advances the vision of transforming the highway into an energy-efficient green corridor while cutting the state’s carbon footprint.Officials highlight that the expressway’s south-facing alignment from Nagpur to Mumbai offers optimal sunlight exposure for solar panels. Additionally, natural wind flow, combined with drafts created by fast-moving vehicles, can be tapped for wind energy.The project will be executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model on a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) basis. MSRDC has already initiated the process of appointing a renewable energy consultant to conduct feasibility studies, design layouts, and recommend cutting-edge technologies.Unused land along the expressway’s embankments will be harnessed for the installations, setting an example of merging infrastructure with clean energy. “We want bidders to showcase innovative concepts that maximise energy generation and land use,” an MSRDC official said.The Samruddhi Expressway, one of Maharashtra’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, was completed in four phases between December 2022 and June 2025, connecting Nagpur to the outskirts of Mumbai. Now, its transformation into a renewable energy corridor could make it a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure in India.News source: Hindustan Times