Indian Railways continues to emphasize on harnessing solar energy

Indian Railways has been taking measures in harnessing the abundantly available solar energy for its electrical needs thereby assisting in conserving the valuable conventional fuels and also reducing carbon emission to environment.

Indian Railways has been taking measures in harnessing the abundantly available solar energy for its electrical needs thereby assisting in conserving the valuable conventional fuels and also reducing carbon emission to environment. It is also encouraging use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funds for improving passenger amenities so as to reduce pressure on scarce funds in Railways. Several Railway Zones and Railway Divisions spread across the country have been in their own right taking measures in this direction. Ajmer Railway Division of North-Western Railway Zone took one more step today wherein it not only installed solar plants at 4 new stations of Ajmer Division but also used CSR funds for this purpose. With this, a total of 8 Railway Stations in Ajmer Division will be covered with Solar Plants using CSR funds.

A bipartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Railway PSU Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd (IRFC) & Ajmer Division of North Western Railway today i.e. on 08th March 2016 at New Delhi for installation of eco-friendly Solar Power Plant of total capacity of 280 KWp at 04 major stations viz Marwar Junction, Rani, Falna and Ranapratap Nagar (Udaipur) Stations of Ajmer Division. The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Rajiv Datt, CMD, IRFC and Shri Naresh Salecha, Divisional Railway Manager, Ajmer.

The cost of this project is Rs 3.29 Crores which will be borne by IRFC Ltd through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funds. The life expectancy of these Solar Panels is 25 years. These Solar Plants will generate approximately 5 Lac Units per year and thus there will be a huge saving of Rs 32.50 Lac per year by bringing down the divisional electricity bill. Thus, there will be a total saving of Rs. 812 lac during its life cycle. It will also help in reducing the carbon footprint of Ajmer division by 456 ton per annum (approx) thus total reduction of carbon emission will be 11400 ton during its complete life cycle thus helping environment.

Under this project, 70 KWp Solar PV Plants will be installed at each of the four Railway Stations to facilitate basic amenities to the passenger viz. lighting, fannage and other electrical load. These Solar Plants will be under warrenty/AMC for 5 next years after commissioning. The capacity of these solar plants is sufficient to provide the electrical load of these stations thereby reducing the dependency of supply from DISCOMs.

Railway’s Ajmer Division headed by, Naresh Salecha, Divisional Railway Manager, Ajmer has taken several initiatives for developing the passenger amenities at various railway stations of Ajmer Division through sources other than railway viz CSR funds of various Corporate, MPLADs funds, MLALADs funds, NGOs, Trusts, Individuals etc. In the recent past, Ajmer division has installed a total of 140 KWp Solar Panels costing Rs 2.16 Crores at 4 stations through CSR funds of CONCOR. Sri Cement Ltd is developing PRS building and Entry/Exit gates with heritage look costing Rs 2-3 Crores at Ajmer Station. In addition to these, Ajmer Division has already executed MOU worth Rs 55 Lacs with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam for installing Industrial RO Plants at 3 major stations of Ajmer division viz. Ajmer, Bhilwara and Abu Road. Ajmer division will be provided Rs. 1,20,000 lts. Free R.O. water to passengers everyday at Ajmer. This is in continuation to such existing free RO water already provided at Udaipur, Bijainagar and Beawar for providing free RO water to the passengers. The Second Entry Gate alongwith Waiting Hall and PRS at Udaipur costing Rs 2.5 crores has been developed by Udaipur Nagar Nigam, MP fund, MLA fund and UIT. Udaipur’s second entry has been made beautiful by way of contemporary art painting and live walls which have been widely appreciated by all. Numerous other infrastructural additions have also been done in Ajmer division by involving NGO, Trusts, and Individuals etc.