For the 1st time in the world, Indian Railways will directly supply power to Overhead Traction System of train.To achieve this feat, Indian Railways has recently set up 1.7 MWp (mega watt power) at Bina (Madhya Pradesh) which shall be connected directly to Overhead Traction System.This has already been installed and is presently under extensive testing & will become operation in 15 days.
Indian Railways has partnered with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme for this first of its kind project in the world.
Target – Indian Railways will transform itself as ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030.
About the Solar Power Plant:
i.The solar power plant which has been established near the Bina Traction Sub Station (TSS), will produce approximately 25 lakh units of energy annually and will save around INR 1.37 Crore for Railway every year.
ii.To feed the Railway’s overhead traction System directly, it adopts innovative technology for converting Direct Current (DC) to Single Phase 25 KV Alternating Current (AC) power.
iii.This project will help Indian Railways to become completely ‘Green mode of transportation’ as well as ‘Atma Nirbhar’.
iv.Technique involved in this project –The DC energy generated by solar panels will be converted into AC energy through these unique inverters and stepped up to 25 kV AC -1 ϕ through the transformer to directly feed power to the BINA TSS which is used for running of electric trains.
Other Projects of Indian Railways:
In addition to this, two pilot projects for the scheme of land based solar plants for meeting electric traction energy requirements of Indian Railways are under implementation.
i.50 MWp solar power plant on vacant unused land at Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) which shall be connected with Central Transmission Utility (CTU) and is targeted to be commissioned before 31st March, 2021.
ii.2 MWp solar plant at Diwana (Haryana) which shall be connected to State Transmission utility (STU) is expected to be commissioned before 31st August, 2020.
iii. Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. (REMCL) has already floated tenders for 2 GW of solar projects for Indian Railways to be installed on unutilised railway lands.
About Ministry of Railways:
Union Minister: Shri Piyush Goyal
Minister of State: Shri Suresh Angadi Channabasappa
About BHEL:
Chairman & MD: Nalin Shinghal
Headquarters: New Delhi
