Chennai Central Station is now 100% solar powered

27 Sep 2021 CW Team

The Puratchi Thalaivar M G Ramachandran Central or Chennai Central railway station, under the South Central Railway (SCR), has achieved the 100% day energy needs by solar panels established on the platform shelters of the station.

SCR is the first on Indian Railways to come up with the idea of ‘Energy Neutral’ railway stations, able to meet 100% energy requirements by drawing natural solar power via Solar PhotoVoltaic (SPV) panels installed on about 13 station buildings.

Solar power panels have been established at several locations and railway stations like Chennai Central, MMC complex, Katpadi, Tambaram, Mambalam, Guindy and Chengalpattu suburban stations, and various other railway offices. All the power requirements of 13 stations such as lighting, fans, pumps and other electrical devices are fulfilled through the solar power produced and this is decreasing the net traditional energy usage at these stations to zero.

With a focus on providing renewable energy through windmills, Windmill Plants have been installed at Kayathar (near Gangai Kondan/Kadambur Railway stations) in Tuticorin district under Madurai division of Southern Railway, a Southern Railway release declared. Additionally, it said that the total capacity of Wind Mill plants in Southern Railway is 10.5 MW.

Notifying that Southern Railway has attained a savings of Rs 16.64 crore from renewable energy sources during 2019-20, the release said that the railway is committed to fast-tracking its renewable energy projects with a vision to reduce power costs and help the country’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

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Also read: Western Railway runs first electric train from Pipavav on High Rise OHE

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