Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) observed Energy Conservation Week from December 8 to 14 during which it was revealed that the railway zone would become fully electrified by March next year.
A rally was organised in all three divisions to spread awareness about energy conservation. A webinar was also organised to mark the energy conservation week.
ECoR has 96.6 per cent of electrified track out of 2,708-km routes and the remaining 105-km routes are targeted for completion in 2020-21. With this, ECoR will become a completely electrified zone by March 2021.
With addition of 1,140km electrified routes in last five years under the ECoR, 71.75 per cent goods and 80.80 per cent passenger traffic is being hauled by electric traction. This has resulted in bringing down consumption of diesel oil, reduction in direct emission and saving in haulage cost. Once the remaining sections and terminals are electrified, entire traffic will be on electric traction.
Provision of solar photovoltaic plants on railway premises will reduce dependency on fossil fuel-based electricity and help reduce emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases.
Thus, ECoR is focusing on solar energy for long-term energy security and ecological security by reducing carbon emission. ECoR has planned commissioning of solar plants on rooftops of various buildings, workshops, hospitals, railway stations totaling 13.5 MWp to substitute 20 per cent energy, for which work is in progress.
Further, ECoR has identified 476 acres of land for installing ‘land-based solar PV installations’ to the capacity of 86.5 MWp, to augment renewal energy generation for meeting traction loads to the maximum extent. Once these solar plants are commissioned, ECoR will have 100MWp of installed solar power leading to reduction of carbon emission by 96,000 tonne per annum.
Since 2016, the ECoR has taken an initiative to replace the existing florescent based system with energy efficient LED lights in office building, railway stations, workshops and sheds, residential colonies and others on a mission mode.
With the provision of LED lights, altogether 2.4 MW of connected load has been reduced. The provision of LED lights has resulted in reduction in annual energy consumption by 10.4 million units and reduction in emission of carbon dioxide by 8,500 tonne per annum.
During 2019-20, 38 pairs of trains have been converted into head on generation (HOG) system to substitute the diesel which was used for generating electric energy for meeting passenger amenity such as lighting, ventilation and air conditioning in the railway coaches.
The HOG conversion of racks has resulted in estimated saving of 7,800 kilo litres of diesel, amounting to Rs 48 crore per annum.
In addition, ECoR has initiated a number of energy conservation programs to reduce energy consumption by reducing wastage.
