- The 500-MW solar power plants will be installed at the top of railway buildings through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode
- Tenders for 45-MW rooftop solar capacity have also been floated by REMCL
According to a report by the Economic times, railway board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav said that the railways will offer its vacant land to install 500-megawatt solar power plants to meet its energy needs. The railways also aim to install another 500-MW solar power plants and about 200-MW wind plants by 2021-22 as per the report. This will be done across the railway zones and production units (PUs).
The report said that the 500-MW solar power plants will be installed at the top of railway buildings through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The agreements will be of 25 years.
Reduce carbon emissions and carbon footprints
As per the report, Yadav said that a pilot project for the land-based power plants, a three-megawatt plant has already been installed at MCF, Raebareli. He added that in Bhilai, a 50-MW plant on a 300-acre vacant railway land has been awarded by the Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL). It is under under progress with targeted commissioning by March 2021.
Yadav further added that these plants will reduce carbon emissions and carbon footprints. He said that sixteen stations have been declared ‘Green’ railway stations which are meeting their energy needs completely either through solar or by wind. He also said that work is underway for about 111-MW solar plants and tenders for 93-MW solar plants. These tenders were recently floated by REMCL.
Tenders for 45-MW rooftop solar capacity
According to the report, Yadav further added that tenders for 45-MW rooftop solar capacity have also been floated by REMCL . It is due for opening on 27th January, 2020. The balance 154 MW is under different stages of planning as per Yadav.
As per the report, Indian Railways has also come up with two pilot projects for feeding solar power directly to 25 KV AC traction system. These are the Diwana Solar Plant Project through REMCL. It is targeted for completion by March 2020.The other is the Bina Solar Project through BHEL which is targeted for completion by February 2020.
Hybrid projects of solar and wind
Yadav also added that tenders for two hybrid projects of solar and wind of 140 MW (35 MW solar and 105 MW wind) and 109 MW (27 MW solar + 82 MW wind) capacity have also been floated. As per the report, out of the 200-MW target of the railways, a 103.4-MW wind plant has already been installed. Tenders for 187-MW capacity have been floated by REMCL. It is a part of hybrid renewable energy plants.
