Central Railway key to making railways net zero carbon emitter by 2030

To accelerate the transition to green power, Indian Railways has chosen the Central Railways as the model agency responsible for signing an agreement to procure wind energy for the entire railway network across the country, a major step by the Indian Railways in its efforts to become a Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030.

"The Railway Board has nominated Central Railway as the Nodal Railway for executing the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with M/s NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd for the entire 500 MW power supply. Central Railway is currently in the process of finalizing the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NREL. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned within the next two years. This landmark contract marks the first of its kind for Indian Railways and represents a significant step towards achieving the goal of becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030," an official notification said.

Indian Railways has a peak traction power requirement of approximately 450 MW in the state of Maharashtra, encompassing traction substations of Central Railway (CR), Western Railway (WR), South Central Railway (SCR), Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), and South East Central Railway (SECR). A substantial portion of this power requirement is currently fulfilled by thermal power, with CR has tied up for 300 MW. The remaining power is sourced from a 56 MW wind plant and purchased from the Indian Energy Exchange.

Indian Railways has awarded a contract to M/s NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NREL) for the establishment of Grid-Connected Renewable Energy (RE) Power Projects. This initiative aims to provide a supply of 500 MW of round-the-clock renewable power to the railways for a period of 25 years, at a rate of Rs. 4.12 per unit.

"Out of the 500 MW, 205 MW of power has been allocated for railway traction supply in Maharashtra, while the remaining power will be supplied to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The project will consist of both solar and wind components. Solar PV Component of 650 MW is planned to be set up at Khavda, Kutch, Gujrat and Wind Power Component of 1050 MW, 350 MW each is planned at Bhuj- Gujrat, Dwarka- Gujrat and Koppal - Karnataka," the statement said.

The contracts have been awarded to Green Infra Wind Energy Ltd., Karnataka for 50 MW of wind power, Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMS) for 61 MW of solar power, and IRCON Renewable Power Ltd (IRPL) for 180 MW of solar power.

These projects are expected to be operational within the next two years.

However, as the demand for power is expected to increase due to large-scale electrification and the addition of electrified tracks through doubling and new line works, a round-the-clock power supply is necessary.

Indian Railways is one of the largest rail networks in the world, spanning over 67,000 kilometers and connecting every corner of the country. With these initiatives, Indian Railways is at the forefront of the country's efforts to combat climate change by transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.