The Central Railway (CR) has entered into a contract with Green Infra Wind Energy Ltd (GIWEL) to receive 50 Mega Watt (MW) wind power. GIWEL will set up a wind park comprising 24 turbines with a capacity of 2.1 MW each in Koppal district. The power will be utilised through open access to meet traction load.
According to CR officials, the plant will be commissioned in September 2024. GIWEL will supply 160 million units of electricity annually, which is 5% of the total traction power requirement for the railways in Maharashtra.
Central Railway making efforts to source solar power
As per CR officials, currently, CR is procuring 56.4 MW wind power from Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd and Pavan Energy from plants set up in Sangli. With the commissioning of the GIWEL plant, the total capacity would be 106.4 MW. The CR is also making efforts to source solar power for traction, officials said, adding that contracts for 61 MW and 180 MW solar power have been awarded to Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd and IRCON Renewable Power Ltd, respectively. These are expected to be operational by April 2024.
The pace of railway electrification has increased since 2014 and CR has now achieved 100% electrification on all broad gauge routes, thereby reducing 5.204 tonne of carbon footprint to save ₹1,670 crore annually. This will facilitate the elimination of diesel traction.
