1) Requirement of traction power in Maharashtra state for running of various trains is 450 Megawatt. Out of these 450 MW energy requirement, 300 MW requirement is met through thermal power and 56 MW is met through wind plants and rest through purchase from Indian Energy Exchange.
2) To reduce dependance on thermal energy, new contracts of solar and wind energy has been awarded as follows:
A) Green infra Wind energy Ltd – for 50 MW wind energy.
B) Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMS) – for 61 MW solar energy.
C) IRCON Renewable Power Ltd (IRPL) – for 180 MW Solar energy.
These will be operational in next 2 years.
3) Round the clock energy-
Also to ensure round the clock supply of traction energy to run the trains, Indian Railways has awarded a contract to NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NREL) for setting up grid connected Renewable energy power projects of 500 MW.
Out of these 500 MW energy, 205 MW power is allotted to Maharashtra state train running traction power requirement.
4) Central Railway is nominated by Railway Ministry as “Nodal Railway” for executing above power purchase agreements with NTPC for these entire 500 MW power requirement.
Central railway is in the process of signing this agreement. Above will be commissioned in next 2 years.
5) These Round the clock green energy plants of solar & wind energy will be set up by NTPC at Khavda kutch, Gujrat for solar energy and at Bhuj & Dwarka Gujrat & at Koppal karnataka for wind energy.
6) These round the clock green energy is first of it’s kind contract by Indian Railways and it’s a giant step in making Railways net zero carbon emittor by year 2030.
Source: PTI
