Metro trains to run on solar power too

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 18

The DMRC from now on will use solar power for running its trains. Starting today, the Delhi Metro received 27 MW power from the Madhya Pradesh-based Rewa solar power project and the same will gradually increase to 99 MW.

A DMRC official said it's also the first time when the Delhi Metro will be receiving power from an offsite source. Till now, the solar power generated by the roof top solar plants installed on the DMRC premises were utilised for the auxiliary requirements such as lighting and air conditioning of stations, depots, etc.

The power received from Rewa will be utilised for the operational as well as auxiliary requirements of the Delhi Metro, read a statement issued by the DMRC.

In this regard, a power purchase agreement on offsite sourcing of power for the DMRC was signed in 2017.

On an average, about 345 million units (MU) of power will be received from Rewa in a calendar year. In 2018-19, Delhi Metro consumed about 1,092 MU of power for its operations, said the DMRC.

Marking the beginning of the new arrangement, DMRC's Managing Director Mangu Singh, along with other officials, today travelled in a Metro train powered by solar energy from the JLN Stadium station to Central Secretariat station on the Violet Line. Chairperson, Rewa Ultra Mega Solar, Manu Srivastava, and director general, International Solar Alliance, Upendra Tripathi, were also present.

The Delhi Metro generates about 28 MW of solar power through a number of roof top solar power projects which have been installed on Metro stations, residential colonies and depots. — TNS