Kolkata Metro takes steps towards Solar Power Generation

Indian Railways is actively committed to reducing its carbon footprint and aims to achieve 'Net Zero' carbon emissions by 2030. As part of this endeavour, the Kolkata Metro has recently taken steps to install solar power plants on the rooftops of various locations within its network.At present, the Metro Railway is generating 2189.50 Kwp of solar power. Specifically, 657 Kwp solar power plants have been installed along the North-South Corridor, 1519 Kwp solar power plants along the East-West Corridor, and 13.5 Kwp solar plants at Tapan Sinha Memorial Hospital of Metro Railway.Solar power plants have been successfully installed at seven metro stations, namely Noapara, Dum Dum, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, Kavi Subhash, Salt Lake Sector V, Central Park Station, and Central Park Depot.The construction of these solar power plants has been carried out through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The metro railway authorities have provided the rooftop areas, while the solar power developers have handled the complete design, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning work.The operation and maintenance of these plants are managed by the solar power developers. A cloud-based monitoring system is in place to oversee the solar power generation system of the Metro Railway. Through the use of built-in meters and data loggers, external computers and smart devices analyse the performance of the plants.Looking ahead, the Kolkata Metro plans to further expand its solar power generation capacity in the fiscal year 2023-24. A capacity increase of 2792 Kwp is planned, including the installation of a 500 Kwp capacity plant at the Stabling Bay Line Workshop at Central Park Depot, a 92 Kwp capacity plant at Belgachia, a 1400 Kwp capacity plant at Joka Depot, and an 800 Kwp capacity plant at Kavi Subhash Carshed. Additionally, there is a proposal to construct a 654 Kwp capacity solar power generation plant at Jessore Road station.