Minister opens 2 MW solar power plant

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 16

The Minister of State (MoS) for Railways, Rajen Gohain, on Wednesday said they would hold a review meeting and involve city MP Dharamvira Gandhi for linking the 24-km Patiala-Mohali railway track. He said this while inaugurating a 2 MW rooftop solar power plant at Diesel Loco Modernisation Works (DLMW). The project has been set up at a cost of Rs 7.17 crore. He said the Railways would install 1000 MW solar power plants all over the country till 2021.

Rajen Gohain reviewed the performance of the factory. He said, “The ministry is working towards making India the biggest green energy producing country. This will contribute to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.” 

“As far as the punctuality of trains is concerned, the ministry will gradually shift goods trains to separate tracks to ensure punctuality,” he added. 

Officials of the Railways informed that the 2 MW plant would generate 28 lakh units (kWh) of electricity every year and would meet 25 per cent of the total energy requirement of the factory. They said it had the potential to save 2400 metric tonnes (MT) of coal every year and will reduce the CO2 emission by 2,500 MT. 

The plant has 6,425 solar panels installed at 22 locations. City MP Dharamvira Gandhi said, “ The Malwa region has half the total districts in the state but 92 per cent of the premium trains go from Rajpura to Jalandhar. We need more trains, along with the widening of rail tracks.