Odisha, Centre Hold High-Level Meeting to Boost Green Hydrogen, Rooftop Solar Mission

Bhubaneswar, July 11 : In a significant move to accelerate India’s clean energy transition, the Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi, held a high-level meeting with Odisha Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja and other senior state officials to review progress on two flagship initiatives — the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) and PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY).

During the meeting, Chief Secretary Ahuja underlined Odisha’s strong potential to lead the country’s green hydrogen revolution, citing the state’s strategic coastal location, robust industrial base, and forward-looking policies. He acknowledged challenges such as water availability, integration of large-scale renewable energy, and infrastructure gaps, but expressed confidence in Odisha’s ability to overcome them and emerge as a global hub for green hydrogen derivatives.

MNRE Secretary Sarangi echoed this sentiment, stating that Odisha is uniquely positioned to support the national scale-up of Green Hydrogen, and highlighted increasing interest from domestic investors to develop Green Ammonia and Green Methanol projects, especially near the Paradip and Gopalpur ports.

The meeting also included senior representatives from central ministries, state government departments, and key green hydrogen developers. A major focus of discussion was the proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Gopalpur, envisioned as a key site for large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production.

Both central and state governments reaffirmed their commitment to developing a collaborative ecosystem and to positioning Odisha as a preferred investment destination for clean energy projects.

In addition, the review of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana — a national rooftop solar initiative — saw strong emphasis on accelerating rooftop solar adoption in Odisha. The Chief Secretary directed all District Collectors to expedite rooftop solar installations, especially under the Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model, which targets low-income households with systems under 1 kW capacity.

He also called for regular meetings of the State-Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), stronger engagement with vendors and financial institutions, and faster loan approvals and disbursements to facilitate solar implementation.

The Ministry also showcased best practices from other states in agricultural solarization under PM KUSUM, prompting Odisha officials to commit to implementing Feeder Level Solarization — a key step towards bringing clean energy benefits to farmers.

This collaborative meeting marks a major step toward positioning Odisha as a leader in India’s energy transition and promoting sustainable, decentralized energy solutions across the state.