South Eastern Railway to promote green initiatives in FY22

12 Jul 2021 CW Team

The South Eastern Railway (SER) has committed to promoting the use of alternative energy sources in order to emphasise energy-efficient methods in the fiscal year 2021.

It will focus on the installation of solar plants to capture clean energy, the use of LED lights to reduce regular electricity consumption, and the implementation of a Head-On Generation (HOG) system in train operations as part of its environmentally friendly measures.

HOG technology is an electrical power supply system that uses overhead electric lines to provide power for the entire trainload, including coach lighting, air conditioning, fans, pantry, and other passenger interface requirements.

The HOG system is pollution-free in terms of both air and noise. Only 35 trains are currently operating on the HOG system.

According to data, it has resulted in lower fuel costs and carbon emissions. SER intends to increase the number of trains equipped with HOG technology to 60 by March 2022. To save conventional energy, it will transition to non-conventional energy sources in stages.

SER has so far installed 2.306 MWp solar plants on the roofs of its Garden Reach headquarters and four divisions, including Ranchi and Chakradharpur.

Around 500 acres of vacant land along railway tracks and settlements in SER jurisdiction have been identified, according to railway officials, for the construction of a solar plant with a capacity of up to 201 MW.

SER has saved Rs 33.6 lakh in 2019-20 and Rs 39 lakhs in 2020-21 by using solar energy as an alternative energy source.

In addition, SER has replaced traditional light fittings with energy-efficient LED lights in all 363 of its stations and other railway establishments.

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Also read: Govt mandates green hydrogen purchase for some sectors

Also read: Clean Energy Partnership: US, India set up hydrogen task force

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