Indian Railways to invest Rs 180 bn on solar power units along tracks
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Indian Railways to invest Rs 180 bn on solar power units along tracks

The Indian Railways is reportedly in plans to come up with solar power tenders of 4 GW in order to cut down on its power purchase costs and utilise the vast stretches of linear land along the tracks with greater efficiency.

The bid are expected to be open up business opportunities of about Rs 180 billion for domestic solar industry consisting of equipment makers and plant installers. The tenders, which will be invited by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), is expected to be issued in two tranches of 2 GW each to be built across 10 states. Reviewed by FE, the framework document for the project reportedly proposes that the first tranche would be for solar plants in Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Haryana and Rajasthan while the remaining capacity would be set up in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

At present, the railways requires 16 billion units of electricity every year and spend around Rs 100 billion on electricity every year with the average per unit cost being around Rs 6 per unit.

Railways pays tariffs as high as Rs 10.52 per unit, Rs 9.13 per unit and Rs 8.33 per unit in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan, respectively.

The 4 GW project would need developers to build 1.2 GW of domestic solar manufacturing capacity. The projects would be reportedly designed to use the transmission system built for railway traction.

The Indian Railways is reportedly in plans to come up with solar power tenders of 4 GW in order to cut down on its power purchase costs and utilise the vast stretches of linear land along the tracks with greater efficiency. The bid are expected to be open up business opportunities of about Rs 180 billion for domestic solar industry consisting of equipment makers and plant installers. The tenders, which will be invited by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), is expected to be issued in two tranches of 2 GW each to be built across 10 states. Reviewed by FE, the framework document for the project reportedly proposes that the first tranche would be for solar plants in Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal, Haryana and Rajasthan while the remaining capacity would be set up in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. At present, the railways requires 16 billion units of electricity every year and spend around Rs 100 billion on electricity every year with the average per unit cost being around Rs 6 per unit. Railways pays tariffs as high as Rs 10.52 per unit, Rs 9.13 per unit and Rs 8.33 per unit in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan, respectively. The 4 GW project would need developers to build 1.2 GW of domestic solar manufacturing capacity. The projects would be reportedly designed to use the transmission system built for railway traction.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

NABARD Holds Seminar on Vigilance, Integrity and Good Governance

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised a seminar on “Vigilance: Strengthening Integrity and Good Governance” on 25 August 2026 at its Head Office in Mumbai as part of the ongoing Vigilance Awareness Campaign 2026 being observed from 17 August to 16 November 2026, with the theme “Probity for Prosperity."" The seminar was graced by Suresh N Patel, Former Central Vigilance Commissioner, Government of India, as the chief guest and keynote speaker.  The programme was attended by G S Rawat, Deputy Managing Director, Dr Ajay K Sood, Deputy Managing Dire..

Next Story
Equipment

XCMG Unveils World's First 14,000-Ton Ring Crane for Heavy Lifting

XCMG has announced that the first main unit of the world's first 14,000-ton ring crane has rolled off the production line, marking a historic breakthrough in ultra-heavy lifting technology. Jointly developed by XCMG and Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation Co., Ltd., the crane will be the largest-capacity ring crane ever built, setting a new benchmark for major construction projects worldwide.The crane features a modular configuration comprising two main units that work in tandem. The first main unit has completed final assembly and can independently perform lifting operations. Once both..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Thriveni Logistics orders 200 tip trailers from Jagdamba trailers

Jagdamba Trailers (JTPL), one of India’s growing trailer manufacturers, has secured a significant order for 200 Tip Trailers from Thriveni Transport and Logistics Pvt. Ltd., a leading mining and logistics company serving operations across India and overseas.The order, placed for iron ore transportation, is a major milestone for JTPL, particularly as the company secured the business after competing with more than 10 established trailer manufacturers. It also strengthens an already successful relationship between the two companies. Approximately one and a half years ago, Thriveni Transport and..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code