Odisha: ECoR To Install Solar Power Plants At Station Buildings, Other Installations

Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) is adopting various steps to generate more green energy by installing Rooftop Solar Power Plants in station and service buildings and other installations over its jurisdiction.

ECoR said in a statement on Wednesday that it plans to install 21826 KWp capacity solar plants resulting in savings of approximately Rs 14 crores from energy bill and Rs 91.41 lakh from carbon credit.

Under this project, ECoR will install solar power plants at 149 station buildings, 248 service buildings, 6924 residential buildings, and at 366 level crossing (LC) gates over its jurisdiction.

Out of the above, tenders have been floated for Rs 83.79 crores, which includes Solar Power Plants/Renewable Solar Energy Sources on grid plants of different capacities on rooftops and shed tops in various locations:

• Brahmapur-Palasa Railway Section at a cost of Rs 9.13 cr

• Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Paradip-Bhadrak Railway section Rs 8.86 cr

• Angul Section Rs 9.48 cr

• Headquarters area in Bhubaneswar Rs 9.10 cr

• Khurda Road-Puri Section Rs 8.74 cr

• Paradeep-Kendujhargarh Railway Section Rs 8.10 cr

• Visakhapatnam area Rs 7.25 cr

• Visakhapatnam Electric Loco Shed area Rs 7.10 cr

• Duvvada-Palasa Main Line/Naupada-Gunupur/Vizianagaram-Rayagada area Rs 8.78 cr

• Kottavalasa-Kirandul Rail Line Section Rs 7.53 cr

Major Station Buildings and Service Buildings like Headquarters Building, Rail Sadan at Chandrasekharpur, 6790 KWp have also been provided with Rooftop Solar Power Plants/Renewable Energy sources. Level Crossing Gates at most of the places in ECoR jurisdiction have also been installed with Solar/Renewable Energy Systems.

East Coast Railway is committed to maximizing the use of Solar Energy for meeting its energy requirements. This will help in meeting the day-to-day power needs of Stations and other Service Buildings. Apart from being environmentally friendly, this leads to savings in precious expenditure for the Railways.