Railway solar mission gathers steam; roof top plant in Patiala
Railways have joined hands with power equipment maker BHEL for setting up of a roof top solar power plant in Patiala to meet the energy demands of the Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works in that city.
The public transporter has also completed installing solar panels on about 21 roof tops of coaches, guard vans, rail workshops and production units across the country to promote clean energy and reducing electricity consumption substantially.
Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuel(IROAF) signed an agreement with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) for constructing the 2MW roof top solar power plant under the government’s incentive scheme.
The plant to be set up at the Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works at Patiala will be commissioned within next 10 months, said Ravindra Gupta, Chief Administrative Officer of IROAF.
IROAF is the single window for railways for dealing with work related to use of alternative fuels such as bio fuel, CNG and solar energy.
This is the first project to be covered under the Achievement Linked Incentive Scheme of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for government buildings.
Gupta said preparations are in full swing to cover all roof tops of rail factories, workshops, station buildings with solar system.
Currently, six guard vans of freight trains have been equipped with solar power and 200 more such vans will be fitted with system as per the plan to facilitate use of fan and light for guards.
As far as coaches are concerned, while six coaches in the Delhi Division are being equipped with solar system, 250 more coaches will be having the solar energy for operation of light and fan in coaches.
Railways have set a target of generating 1000 MW of solar power by 2020.
Gupta said 44 roof tops of rail workshops across the country will soon be powered with solar energy.All roof tops of the station buildings will also be covered with solar system to provide clean energy for the use of lights and fans in the buildings.
(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
