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Indian Railways

World’s First Solar-powered Train Launched In India

written by saurabh

The Indian Railways, world’s fourth largest railway network, recently took a massive step towards sustainable energy as it launched the world’s first-ever solar powered train.

A short distance inter-city train was launched in India’s capital recently which had 4.8 kilowatts of solar modules installed atop six coaches. The train is the first in the world to be powered by solar power. The train is also equipped with a battery backup which can power it for 72 hours.

The six coaches are equipped with 16 panels of 300 watts (peak) capacity each. These panels are used for powering fans and lighting systems inside the coaches. The initiative will soon be extended to other short-distance inter-city trains and eventually expanded to long-distance trains as well. Once fully implemented the program will result in significant savings for the Indian Railways.

The CEO of Indian Railways Organisation for Alternative Fuel told media outlets that the total monetary savings for this entire project is expected to be around Rs 700 crore ($108 million). Each such trains will reduce consumption of diesel by more than half a million litres over a 25 year period. Around 1,350 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will also be offset by each solar-powered train during the same time period.

Last month, the Indian Railways launched a tender for installation of solar panels and battery backup systems for 250 trains.

Companies selected through the tender process will be required to install flexible solar panels and battery systems on six trains on experimental basis. These trains will be put into commercial operations and performance of the panels and batteries would be tested for a period of two months before a decision on large-scale implementation is taken.

The Indian Railways is working on several initiatives to enhance sustainability in its operations. It is planning to set up bio-diesel refineries to blend 5% biodiesel in its diesel locomotives. It is also exploring using of Compressed Natural Gas to replace at least 20% of diesel consumption.

A highly ambitious project to cover almost every railway station in the country with rooftop solar panels has also been undertaken. Around 7,000 railway stations will be installed with rooftop solar power systems with a cumulative capacity of 1,000 megawatts.

A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water stated that Indian Railways has the potential to source 25% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2025. According to the study, Indian Railways can set up 3.9 gigawatts of utility-scale and 1.1 gigawatts of rooftop solar power systems to meet 25% of its electricity demand.

July 21, 2017 0 comment

Indian Railways To Install Solar Panels Atop 250 Trains

written by saurabh

The Indian Railways is going all out to reduce its fuel costs and adopt solar power in a major way. Apart from planning large-scale solar power projects and rooftop solar power systems, the world’s fourth-largest railway network is planning to install solar panels on top of coaches.

The Indian Railways has floated a tender for installation of solar panels atop 250 trains to power fans and lighting systems. The tender, according to media reports, would require winning companies to install battery systems in addition to solar panels.

Companies selected through the tender process will be required to install flexible solar panels and battery systems on six trains on experimental basis. These trains will be put into commercial operations and performance of the panels and batteries would be tested for a period of two months before a decision on large-scale implementation is taken.

The Indian Railways, through the mandate of the central government and its own target to shift to clean energy sources in the long-term, has taken numerous initiatives in the recent past. A study by the United Nations Development Program stated that the Indian Railways could source as much as 25% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2025.

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has found that Indian Railways could set up 5 gigawatts of solar power capacity, through rooftop and utility-scale projects, to significantly increase its consumption of renewable energy over the next few years.

The study by CEEW shows that 3,900 megawatts of utility-scale projects and 1,100 megawatts of rooftop projects can be installed by the Indian Railways with an estimated investment of $3.6 billion. Last year, the Indian Railways joined hands with UNDP to execute plans to set up 5,000 megawatts of solar power capacity.

Earlier this year, the Indian government announced a major push by the Indian Railways in the rooftop solar power market, perhaps the largest in India and the world!

The Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the 7,000 railway stations across the country will be fed with solar power as per the Indian Railways mission to implement 1,000 megawatts of solar power capacity. The minister made the announcement during the union budget speech on 1 February 2017.

The minister stated that work to set up rooftop solar power systems at 300 stations has already started, and soon this number will increase to 2,000 stations. According to data released by the Minister of Railways, India had 7,137 railway stations at the end of March 2015.

In the large-scale solar power market, the Indian Railways is looking to adopt the model used by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), India’s largest subway system. DMRC has signed a power purchase agreement of around 200 megawatts with Rewa Solar Power Park located about 800 kilometres.

The Indian Railways has approached the government of Madhya Pradesh with a proposal to set up a mega solar power park with a capacity of 700-800 megawatts (MW). The project will come up at Shajapur, a few hundred kilometres east of the Rewa solar power park which received the lowest-ever tariff bid ever in India.

June 18, 2017 0 comment

12 Renewable Energy Policy Initiatives Implemented By India (Part 1)

written by saurabh

Since the National Democratic Alliance government took to power in May 2014 several landmark policy initiatives have been undertaken in the renewable energy sector. The result of these initiatives has been that India now stands to become the third-largest solar power market in the world and remains one of the largest wind energy markets in the world.

In this four part series of the articles we will briefly analyse the various initiatives of the Indian government and what impact they have on the renewable energy market. In this part we will look at the macro-level directional policy initiatives.

5x Increase In Renewable Energy Targets

When the National Solar Mission was launched in late 2010 the installed capacity target for March 2022 was 20 gigawatts of utility-scale projects and 2 gigawatts of rooftop solar power projects. In May 2014, this target was increased to 100 gigawatts installed capacity by March 2022. The government set a target to set up 20 gigawatts through solar power parks, which was subsequently increased to 40 gigawatts. The target for rooftop solar power projects was increased to 40 gigawatts by March 2022.

Wind energy capacity target was set as 60 gigawatts and the overall renewable energy target was set at 175 gigawatts by March 2022. The Renewable Purchase Obligation for solar power was increased from 3% by March 2022 to 8%.

Renewable Generation Obligation

The Renewable Generation Obligation is an extension of the Renewable Purchase Obligation and was actually implemented following the disastrous outcome of the latter. According to an amendment in the National Tariff Policy, any project developer looking to develop a thermal power plant will have to set up renewable energy projects equivalent to at least 10% of the planned thermal power project. This also paves way for integrated supply of thermal power as well as renewable energy through the same power purchase agreement.

Renewable Energy Targets For Government Entities

After increasing the renewable energy targets by five times the Indian government allocated capacity addition targets amongst its own entities. Government-owned companies and entities were given individual capacity addition targets. NTPC, NHPC, Coal India, Indian Railways and several other companies pledged to add wind and solar power capacity during the first-ever renewable energy investors summit in 2015. Public sector companies pledged to add more than 19 gigawatts in renewable energy capacity in that summit. Shipping ports, airports and even the Indian armed forces also announced plans to set up large-scale renewable energy projects.

May 20, 2017 0 comment

Indian Railways Eyes 700-800 Megawatts In Mega Solar Power Park

written by saurabh

On the heels of the successful allocation of 750 megawatts solar power capacity at record-low rates, the Indian Railways is now looking to replicate this model to ensure cheap and sustainable power supply.

The Indian Railways has approached the government of Madhya Pradesh will a proposal to set up a mega solar power park with a capacity of 700-800 megawatts. The project will come up at Shajapur, a few hundred kilometres east of the Rewa solar power park which received the lowest-ever tariff bid ever in India.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) recently signed a power purchase agreement to procure 24% of the electricity generated from 750 megawatts Rewa solar power park. The Indian Railways is looking to replicate the same model.

Auction for Rewa solar power park yielded levelised tariff of Rs 3.30/kWh, the lowest-ever tariff at that time (now the second lowest).

Three units of 250 megawatt each were recently auctioned by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. The three units of the solar power park have been awarded at tariffs of Rs 2.970 to Rs 2.979 per kWh (4.4¢/kWh). The lowest bid was placed by ACME Cleantech Solutions, one of the leading solar power project developers in India. Mahindra Renewables, part of a large industrial conglomerate, secured a 250 MW unit at Rs 2.974/kWh, and Solenergi secured the third unit at Rs 2.979/kWh.

The bids placed by these developers are for only the first year of project operations. The tariffs will increase by Rs 0.05/kWh (0.07¢/kWh) for a period of 15 years. Thus, the levellised tariff for all three units will be around Rs 3.30/kWh (4.9¢/kWh).

The Madhya Pradesh government is said to be in talks with Noida Metro and Coal India as well to set up a solar power parks. Last year, the state government signed an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India to set up 1,000 megawatts solar power park in Chhatarpur district.

A recent study showed that the Indian Railways can source 25% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2025. This can be realised, in part, through the Railways’ plan to set up 5 gigawatts of solar power capacity across the country.

Image by vectoropenstock.com for Cleantechies

April 22, 2017 0 comment

Indian Railways Can Source 25% Of Its Energy Needs From Renewable Energy Sources

written by saurabh

A study funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has identified that renewable energy sources could contribute to as much as 25% of Indian Railway’s energy needs by 2025.

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has found that Indian Railways could set up 5 gigawatts of solar power capacity, through rooftop and utility-scale projects, to significantly increase its consumption of renewable energy over the next few years.

The study by CEEW shows that 3,900 megawatts of utility-scale projects and 1,100 megawatts of rooftop projects can be installed by the Indian Railways with an estimated investment of $3.6 billion. Last year, the Indian Railways joined hands with UNDP to execute plans to set up 5,000 megawatts of solar power capacity.

The Indian Railways has managed to identify the solar power resource in two states so far – Gujarat and Rajasthan – where 25 MW of rooftop and 50 MW of ground-mounted capacity is to be commissioned in the first phase of the programme. In the second phase 60 MW rooftop and 660 MW ground-mounted capacity will be installed in nine other states. During the third phase, 400 MW rooftop and 3,800 MW ground-mounted capacity in rest of the country.

The Indian Railways has already announced a plan to set up 1 GW of solar power capacity over the next few years and is currently working on a plan to implement this capacity. The large-scale solar PV projects are likely to come up on the vast area of unused land available with the Railways. This capacity will be set up with support from the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy through financial assistance from the National Clean Energy Fund.

The Indian Finance Minister, in his union budget speech for FY2017-18, had announced that 7,000 railways stations across the country will have rooftop solar power systems. A pilot project has already covered 300 stations and this number is expected to increase to 2,000 soon.

April 8, 2017 0 comment

Indian Railways Plans 5 GW Solar Power In Partnership With UNDP

written by saurabh

The Indian Railways has announced new grand plans to enhance its renewable energy production.

According to media reports, the Indian Railways is planning to set up around 5 GW solar power capacity across the country in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The capacity addition will be a mix of rooftop and ground-mounted projects.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Railways issued a tender to set up 50 MW rooftop solar power capacity. Another 100 MW tender is expected to he floated soon.

Last year, the Indian Railways also announced plans to issue green bonds to potentially raise funds to fuel its renewable energy expansion.

November 28, 2016 0 comment