As a part of Eastern Railway’s endeavour towards reducing carbon footprint, Howrah division of Eastern Railway has installed a state-of-the-art solar power plant at 24 locations in the last fiscal.
It includes 20 new stations namely Mugra, Chuchura, Chandannagar, Nalikul, Uttarpara, Konnagar, Seoraphuli, Srirampore, Singur, Haripal, Bandel, Bally, Kamarkundu, Tarakeswar, Prantik, Kopai, Bataspur, Ahmadpur, Swadinpur, and Nabadwipdham.
According to the ER, the solar power plant has a total capacity of 1445 kW, comprising 3650 units of high-efficiency mono-crystalline PV modules equipped with smart inverters and remote monitoring capabilities. The technology is expected to generate approximately 18,46,000 units of electricity per year, resulting in an annual savings of approximately rupees 1.8 crores.
One of the most significant impacts of this initiative is the reduction in net carbon emissions by 1150 tons per year. As claimed by the zonal railway, the reduction is equivalent to offsetting the emissions of 55,000 trees.