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* Move to make Railways a complete 'Green mode' of transportation
GUWAHATI: Although the Railways is one of the least polluting means of transportation, the Indian Railways is fully aware of its responsibilities for a positive contribution to preserving the environment for our future generation. In that direction, the Indian Railway has taken a conscious decision to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing energy consumption which is produced by using fossil fuel.
A new dawn ushers on Indian Railways as it endeavours to be self-reliant for its energy needs as directed by the Prime Minister and solarise railway stations by utilizing its vacant lands for Renewable Energy (RE) projects. The Railway is committed to utilize solar energy for meeting its traction power requirements and become a complete 'Green mode of transportation'.
The Ministry of Railways has decided to install solar power plants on its vacant unused lands on a mega-scale. The use of solar power will accelerate the mission to achieve the conversion of Indian Railways to 'Net Zero' Carbon Emission Railway, stated a release.
It can also be mentioned here that, in a remarkable achievement, Guwahati station became the first railway station in NorthEast to be fully powered with grid-connected Solar Power with commissioning of a 700 KWp solar plant in the year 2017.
The Indian Railways has acted as a pioneer in green energy procurement. It has started energy procurement from various solar projects like 3 MWp solar plant set up at MCF Raebareilly (UP). About 100 MWp rooftop solar systems have already been commissioned on various stations and buildings of Indian Railways.
The Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. (REMCL) is working relentlessly to further spread the use of solar energy on mega scale. It has already floated the tenders for 2 GW of solar projects for Indian Railways to be installed on unutilised railway lands. The Indian Railways present demand would be fulfilled by the solar projects being deployed, making it the first transport organisation to be energy self-sufficient. This would help in making Indian Railways green as well as 'Atma Nirbhar', the release added.