In line with the Indian Railways' initiative to become a Green Transporter by minimizing its carbon footprint, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has planned to install solar plants with a total capacity of 21,826 KWP (kilowatt peak). This initiative is expected to result in savings of approximately Rs 140 million on energy bills and Rs 9.1 million from carbon credits.

According to ECoR sources, the project involves installing solar power plants at 149 station buildings, 248 service buildings, 6,924 residential buildings, and 366 level crossing gates across its jurisdiction.

The Railways have issued tenders amounting to Rs 830.79 million for the installation of solar power plants or renewable solar energy sources. These installations will be on rooftops and shed tops of various Railway sections throughout the state.

The locations selected for these solar plants include the Brahmapur-Palasa Railway Section, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Paradeep-Bhadrak Railway Section, Angul Section, the Headquarters area in Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road-Puri Section, Paradeep-Kendujhargarh Railway Section, Visakhapatnam area, Visakhapatnam Electric Loco Shed area, and the Kottavalasa-Kirandul Rail Line Section, among others.

ECoR sources further indicated that major station and service buildings, such as the headquarters building and Rail Sadan at Chandrasekharpur, have been equipped with Rooftop Solar Power Plants and Renewable Energy sources totaling 6,790 KWP. Additionally, solar and renewable energy systems have been installed at most level crossing gates within the ECoR jurisdiction.

The sources also emphasized that the railways are taking various measures to generate more green energy by installing rooftop solar power plants in station and service buildings and other installations across its jurisdiction nationwide.