Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu opened the state's solar power project that includes battery storage at Rongtong in Spiti Valley on October 21, 2026. This solar power project, costing INR 4.42 crore (~$0.465 million), has 2 MW of solar power generation along with a 1 MWh Battery Energy Storage System. The project is meant to provide reliable electricity in the remote Himalayan area and to build better clean energy infrastructure.
Snapshot
Project - Rongtong solar-plus-BESS
Location - Rongtong, Kaza, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India
Solar capacity - 2 MW
Battery storage capacity - 1 MWh
Project investment - INR 4.42 crore
Altitude - Approximately 3,600 meters
Construction commenced - May 30, 2023
Commissioning - December 2024
Inauguration - October 21, 2026
Expected annual generation - 3.6 million units (3.6 GWh)
Project status - Operational; formally inaugurated
Key objective - Improve electricity reliability in remote regions
Himachal Pradesh has achieved a step in its efforts with clean energy. The state has begun its solar power project that also includes battery storage. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu officially launched the project at Rongtong near Kaza in the Spiti Valley on October 21, 2026. This project is aimed at ensuring that people in one of the remote high-altitude regions in India have better electricity.
Rongtong site, which can produce 2 MW of power, houses a 1 MWh battery storage system that costs INR 4.42 crore (~$0.465 million). The Rongtong solar site sits about 3,600 meters above sea level. Is built to give electricity in hard mountain conditions.
The construction of the Rongtong site began on May 30, 2023, and finished in December 2024. The Rongtong solar site is expected to produce about 3.6 million units of electricity each year. By pairing the battery system with power the Rongtong solar site can smooth out the shifts, in sunlight and keep the electricity flowing even when the sun is not shining.
The launch of the project also addresses concerns about power supply in the Spiti Valley. When Sukhu visited the area for the time as Chief Minister in 2023, people shared their problems with electricity that often stopped and started. The government views this storage project as a step to strengthen the power system in that area.
At the event Sukhu spoke about construction plans in Lahaul-Spiti and surrounding areas that are worth INR 116 crore (~$12.19 million), including laying the stones for 66/22 kV substations in Sumdo in Kinnaur district and in Kaza. The total cost for these substations is around INR 47.95 crore (~$5.04 million). The Chief Minister also mentioned that INR 6 crore will be provided to operate the Rongtong Hydel Power Project.