Indian Railways is all set to put the first solar powered train on trial by the end of this month. The solar power-enabled railway coaches will be fitted with solar panels.
“This train will be run as a passenger train, the route to be decided after the trial run. This is the initiative by the Railways to make use of alternative source of energy,” said Gopal Sharma, the PRO North Western Railways to ANI.
The trial run will take place in Jodhpur where the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit(DEMU) coaches are being installed with solar panels in one of the Railways’ workshop. Each coach will have twelve solar panels attached on the rooftop.
Each panel can produce 300 Watts in ideal conditions, that will generate 3.6 Kilowatts of electricity. lt will be used for the load of 1.5 Kilowatts required for the CFL lights and fans inside the coaches, says this report by Indian Express.
Noida-based firm Jakson Engineers Limited (JEL) was given a Rs 1.57 crore contract in October 2015 by the Indian Railways Organisation for Alternate Fuels to complete the work of installing solar panels on 50 DEMU coaches, the report adds.
By this unique initiative, an estimated amount of 239 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by approximately 90,800 litres of diesel per rake(group of coaches).
Every year, Indian Railways will save Rs 82 lakh per train by using alternate sources of energy. By 2020, it is planning to meet 10% of its total energy requirements through renewable energy, says this report by Zee news.