RAIPUR (Metro Rail News): Indian Railways is ready to start production at its largest solar plant in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. After its 1.7 MW unit, which was commissioned in February of last year at Bina under West Central Railway in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, the 50 MW solar photovoltaic plant is the Railways’ second facility of its kind.
The Railways installed a solar plant near Charoda, close to a national highway in Bhilai, under the Raipur Division of the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone as part of its aim to utilise the large and uninhabited regions to promote renewable energy. This initiative aims to make the Railways more environmentally friendly and reduce its carbon footprint. The Railways plans to set up more solar plants in different regions.
The solar plant in Bhilai is the largest among all the solar plants owned by the Indian Railways. It covers an area of 200 acres and has 154,500 solar photovoltaic panels. The plant underwent two trials in the month of May and June. The Railway Board will decide how the renewable energy will be used, whether to power the trains or for commercial purposes.
The electricity generated by the solar plant will be supplied to the Power Grid Corporation. The Railways can utilise the same amount of energy from the regional grid wherever it is needed across the country. The project was assigned to Sherisha Rooftop Solar SPV, a Chennai-based company, which will operate the plant for over two decades after its completion. The project is anticipated to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to railway authorities.
