Central Railway unveiled Igatpuri floating solar plant

Through the launch of a 10 MWp floating solar plant in Igatpuri Lake, Central Railway advances renewable energy and promotes the “green Earth” mission.

In an innovative move by the Indian Railways, the Central Railway has built a floating solar plant with a 10 MWp capacity in the Igatpuri lake in the Western Ghats, according to senior authorities. The Central Railway officials state that the facility is dedicated to utilising renewable energy sources, solar electricity, wind energy installations, sufficient passenger comforts, and a major contribution to the railways’ “green Earth” mission.

Additionally, according to officials, the Central Railway has put into service 12.05-MWp solar plants by using the rooftops of buildings and railway stations; of these, 4 MWp solar plants were supplied last year, as the railway works towards its ultimate objective of zero carbon emissions by 2030. “Megawatt Peak, or MWp, is a unit of measure for the highest possible power output. As a result, in 2023–24, savings of Rs 4.62 crore and 6,594.81 MT of carbon footprints were achieved. An additional 7 MWp solar plant is scheduled to be installed this year, according to a senior Central Railway official.

Additionally, efforts have been made to transition to renewable energy. Currently, 61 MW of solar energy and 56.4 MW of wind energy are being used,” he added. The Central Railway reports that contracts for the “round-the-clock” use of 325 MW of solar and wind energy have been inked. In addition, authorities estimate that 50 MW of wind power and 180 MW of solar power will be generated in the current fiscal year.

“These initiatives are equivalent to saving 2.5 lakh trees, which means the benefits provided by these measures are equal to that of the benefits provided by 2.5 lakh trees,” a different top railway official claim. According to the Central Railway, it currently uses 9.7 million units for non-traction operations and 236.92 million units for traction work each month. “After the commissioning of the above sources of renewable energy, it is expected that 70 per cent of the traction energy will be green,” says a railway official.

He continued by saying that as of this moment, two Central Railway buildings wear the “Shunya” symbol and five buildings have the “Shunya-Plus” certification from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. “The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has introduced a labelling programme called Shunya for Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) and Shunya Plus for Net Positive Energy Buildings (NPEBs) in an effort to encourage building owners and promoters to make energy-efficient buildings and further making improvements to make net-zero or net-positive energy buildings.” The Central Railway’s dedication to protect the environment are shown by the awarding the following levels, the official stated.

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