Social posts claim a 5 GW operational plant in Jaisalmer, but the actual project is an under-construction 2.45 GW / 5 GWh facility in Bikaner.
Rajasthan's 2.45-GW Pugal park remains under development
Viral posts described a 5-GW operating solar-storage complex in Jaisalmer, but official plans show a smaller project still being built in Bikaner.
In a nutshell
Viral posts turned a planned 2.45 GW solar park with 5 GWh of battery storage into an allegedly operational 5 GW complex in the wrong Rajasthan district. The underlying Pugal project is real, but it is in Bikaner, not Jaisalmer, and remains under development. Rajasthan has cleared land, planned the high-voltage grid connection and approved bidding rules, bringing private developer awards closer while leaving construction and commissioning dates unresolved.
Highlights
- Pugal is planned for 2,450 megawatts of solar generation paired with a 5,000 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system.
- Rajasthan authorities cleared 4,780 hectares of land for the project at Pugal in Bikaner district.
- The project is not yet supplying power to the grid and remains under construction and procurement.
- Rajasthan's regulator approved generation lot sizes of 225 to 250 megawatts for competitive bidding in July 2026.
- Power is planned to be purchased under 25-year agreements for local distribution companies.
What the Pugal project actually contains
| Project measure | Planned figure |
|---|---|
| Solar generation capacity | 2450 megawatts |
| Battery storage capacity | 5000 megawatt-hours |
- The two headline project figures measure different things: instant generating capacity and stored energy.
- Keeping those units separate explains how a 5 GWh storage figure could be misread online as 5 GW of solar generation.
From the Editor’s Diary
Big infrastructure claims can change meaning when units, locations or project stages are collapsed into one headline. The basic check is simple: separate what is planned, what is built and what is operating.
Who's involved
Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company Ltd
State-owned agency building the shared infrastructure for the Pugal Solar Park
goal → Wants to prepare ready-to-use park infrastructure and tender generation capacity to power producers
Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd
Rajasthan's state agency overseeing renewable energy development
goal → Wants to advance the state's clean-energy targets while supporting reliable power supply at peak demand
Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam
Rajasthan's state electricity transmission utility, responsible for moving power across the high-voltage grid
goal → Wants to build the evacuation network and keep the grid stable as new generation comes online
Rajasthan Energy Regulatory Commission
Rajasthan's electricity regulator, which oversees tariffs, grid rules and power purchase agreements
goal → Wants competitive tariffs, grid discipline and valid long-term power contracts
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
India's federal ministry responsible for renewable energy policy and expansion
goal → Wants more large solar-and-storage projects to support national non-fossil power targets
In short
The viral claim overstates both the scale and readiness of Rajasthan's Pugal Solar Park: the project is planned for 2,450 megawatts of solar generation with 5,000 megawatt-hours of battery storage, and it is not yet supplying power to the grid. The next major step is likely to be the award of generation lots to private developers as competitive bidding advances. That is likely because regulators have approved the tender structure, although the timing of construction and commissioning remains uncertain.
The gap appears to stem from two different measures being confused. The planned battery energy storage system, which stores electricity for later use, is rated at 5,000 megawatt-hours, or 5 GWh. The solar plant itself is planned at 2,450 megawatts, or 2.45 GW. Social media posts later treated the storage figure as if it described 5 GW of solar generation and placed the project in Jaisalmer instead of Bikaner.
The Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company Limited, the state-owned agency building the park infrastructure, is developing the project under the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited, the state agency responsible for renewable energy expansion. Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam, the state electricity transmission utility, is building the high-voltage substations and lines needed to carry power from the park into the grid.
How it unfolded
Rajasthan lays out 2.45-GW Pugal solar-storage plan
The Times of India reported that Rajasthan authorities were preparing what they described as India's first mega solar park with integrated utility-scale battery storage at Pugal in Bikaner district, after clearing 4,780 hectares of land. The plan called for 2,450 MW of solar generation and 5,000 MWh of battery storage. Later online posts blurred those two measures, presenting the 5 GWh storage figure as 5 GW of generation and moving the project to Jaisalmer.
Rajasthan moves from land clearance to bidding rules
With land titles cleared, project authorities moved into the infrastructure phase. Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam began work on plans for 765/400 kV substations and transmission lines linking Pugal to the green energy corridor, the high-voltage network built to carry renewable power.
The project then crossed a regulatory threshold. By July 2026, the Rajasthan Energy Regulatory Commission had approved deviations from standard bidding guidelines and allowed larger generation lots of 225 to 250 megawatts, a structure intended to draw major developers into competitive bidding. That made developer allocation more concrete, but it did not make the park operational.
Where things stand
The Pugal Solar Park is still in construction and procurement and is not yet supplying electricity to the grid. Land clearance and transmission alignment are in place, while tender procedures have been structured under Rajasthan Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines.
The next milestones are the formal award of generation lots to private developers, construction schedules for the battery storage blocks, and a commissioning timetable for the dedicated substations that will carry the park's power into the grid.