BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has planned to install solar energy panels in stations, service and residential buildings besides level crossing gates depending on site availability and feasibility.
Sources said solar power panels will be installed at 149 station buildings, 248 service buildings, 6,924 residential buildings and 366 level crossing gates under its jurisdiction in phases.
“Plans are afoot to install 21,826 kilowatts peak (kWp) capacity solar plants which will reduce 20,314 tonne carbon footprint and help save approximately Rs 14 crore of energy bill apart from Rs 91 lakh per year for carbon credits,” said a railway official.
Meanwhile, tenders have been floated for solar plants of Rs 83.79 crore, which includes solar power plants/renewable solar energy sources on grid plants of different capacities on rooftops and shed tops at various locations.
The sections to be covered with solar energy include headquarters area in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur-Palasa railway section, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Paradip-Bhadrak section, Angul section, Khurda Road-Puri section, Paradip-Keonjhar section, Visakhapatnam station area, Visakhapatnam electric loco shed area, Duvvada-Palasa main line/Naupada-Gunupur/Vizianagaram-Rayagada area and Kottavalasa-Kirandul section.
The ECoR has been adopting various steps to generate more green energy by installing rooftop solar power plants in station and service buildings and other installations for the last few years.
Several station and service buildings like headquarters building, Rail Sadan at Chandrasekharpur have got rooftop solar power plants of 6,790 kWp. Level crossing gates at most of the places under ECoR jurisdiction have also got solar panels.
“We will maximise the use of solar energy for meeting the energy requirements. This initiative will address the day-to-day power needs of stations and other service buildings. Apart from being environmentally friendly, this will lead to savings in precious expenditure for the railways,” the official added.