New Delhi: The Central Railway has installed a floating solar plant of 10 MWp capacity at Igatpuri Lake located in the Western Ghats, a first-of-its-kind initiative by the Indian Railways, senior officials said.
According to Central Railway officials, the plant is committed to harnessing renewable energy sources, utilizing solar energy, installing wind energy resources, providing adequate services to passengers and contributing significantly to the railways' goal of a 'Green Earth'.
Further, officials said that to achieve its ultimate target of zero carbon emissions by 2030, the Central Railway has commissioned 12.05 MWp solar plants using the rooftops of railway stations and buildings, of which, the year In the past, 4 MWp solar plants were provided. .
"MWp stands for Megawatt Peak, which is a measure of maximum potential power production. This has resulted in savings of Rs 4.62 crore in 2023-24 and carbon footprint savings of 6,594.81 MT. There are more plans to install an additional 7 MWp solar plant during the current year," said a senior Central Railway official.
"Steps have also been taken to move towards renewable energy. Currently 56.4 MW of wind energy and 61 MW of solar energy are being used," he added.
According to Central Railways, agreements have been signed for the use of 325 MW of solar and wind energy, which will operate "24 hours a day."
Apart from this, 180 MW of solar power and 50 MW of wind power will also flow in the current fiscal year, officials said.
"These initiatives are equivalent to saving 2.5 lakh trees, which means the benefits provided by these measures are equal to the benefits provided by 2.5 lakh trees," another senior railway official said.
The Central Railway maintains that its current monthly electricity consumption is 236.92 million units for traction work and 9.7 million units for non-traction work.
"After the commissioning of the mentioned renewable energy sources, 70 percent of the traction energy is expected to be green," the official said.
He added that to date the Energy Efficiency Bureau has awarded the "Shunya-Plus" label to five buildings and the "Shunya" label to two buildings of the Central Railway.
"In an effort to encourage building owners and developers to construct energy-efficient buildings and make more improvements to construct net-zero or net-positive energy buildings, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has introduced a labeling program called Shunya for energy-efficient buildings. net zero. (NZEB) and Shunya Plus for net positive energy buildings (NPEB). The awarding of these levels shows the dedicated efforts of the Central Railway towards environment conservation," the official said.
According to Central Railway officials, the plant is committed to harnessing renewable energy sources, utilizing solar energy, installing wind energy resources, providing adequate services to passengers and contributing significantly to the railways' goal of a 'Green Earth'.
Further, officials said that to achieve its ultimate target of zero carbon emissions by 2030, the Central Railway has commissioned 12.05 MWp solar plants using the rooftops of railway stations and buildings, of which, the year In the past, 4 MWp solar plants were provided. .
"MWp stands for Megawatt Peak, which is a measure of maximum potential power production. This has resulted in savings of Rs 4.62 crore in 2023-24 and carbon footprint savings of 6,594.81 MT. There are more plans to install an additional 7 MWp solar plant during the current year," said a senior Central Railway official.
"Steps have also been taken to move towards renewable energy. Currently 56.4 MW of wind energy and 61 MW of solar energy are being used," he added.
According to Central Railways, agreements have been signed for the use of 325 MW of solar and wind energy, which will operate "24 hours a day."
Apart from this, 180 MW of solar power and 50 MW of wind power will also flow in the current fiscal year, officials said.
"These initiatives are equivalent to saving 2.5 lakh trees, which means the benefits provided by these measures are equal to the benefits provided by 2.5 lakh trees," another senior railway official said.
The Central Railway maintains that its current monthly electricity consumption is 236.92 million units for traction work and 9.7 million units for non-traction work.
"After the commissioning of the mentioned renewable energy sources, 70 percent of the traction energy is expected to be green," the official said.
He added that to date the Energy Efficiency Bureau has awarded the "Shunya-Plus" label to five buildings and the "Shunya" label to two buildings of the Central Railway.
"In an effort to encourage building owners and developers to construct energy-efficient buildings and make more improvements to construct net-zero or net-positive energy buildings, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has introduced a labeling program called Shunya for energy-efficient buildings. net zero. (NZEB) and Shunya Plus for net positive energy buildings (NPEB). The awarding of these levels shows the dedicated efforts of the Central Railway towards environment conservation," the official said.
