Metro Railway has been constantly thriving hard to reduce carbon footprints by generating power from alternative sources.This initiative has got momentum in recent times. In this context, it is worth mentioning here that installation of rooftop solar power plants at different locations of Metro Railway is the testimony of this initiative.
Metro Railway has been generating 2189.50 Kwp solar power at present. Out of which, in the North-South Corridor 657 Kwp solar power plants have been installed at Noapara, Dum Dum, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Kavi Subhash stations. In the East-West Corridor 1519 Kwp solar power plants have been installed at Salt Lake Sector V, Central Park stations as well as Central Park Depot. A Solar Power Plant having capacity of 13.5 Kwp has also been installed at Tapan Sinha Memorial Hospital of Metro Railway.
These projects which have been executed through Public-Private Partnership Mode are equipped with all standard protection and safety checks. Metro Railway has provided the rooftop areas whereas the solar power developer has done complete designing, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning work. Solar power developer operates and maintains these plants. This solar power generation system of Metro Railway is being monitored through cloud-based monitoring system. External computers and smart devices analyses plants’ performances with the help of built-in meters and data loggers.
In the coming days also, Metro Railway is emphasizing on more solar power generation. Metro’s solar power generation capacity will be increased by 2792 Kwp in the year 2023-24. Out of which 500 Kwp capacity plant at Stabling Bay Line Workshop at Central Park Depot, 92 Kwp capacity plant at Belgachia, 1400 Kwp capacity plant at Joka Depot and 800 Kwp capacity plant at Kavi Subhash Carshed will be installed in 2023-24. In the under construction Jessore Road station it has been proposed to install a 654 Kwp capacity solar power generation plant also.
All these plants will be installed as a part of 100 MW peak rooftop solar power generation projects for Indian Railways which aims to become a ‘Net Zero Carbon Emitter’ by 2030.
Kausik Mitra Chief Public Relations Officer, Metro Railway stated this in a press release.
