On Monday, the Indian Railways signed a PPA (power purchase agreement) for 170 MW of solar power with the Madhya Pradesh Government. This was announced by the Union railways minister at the Global Investors Summit held in Bhopal.
“This milestone marks the procurement of India's cheapest solar power at Rs 2.15/kWh, and the minister reaffirmed enthusiasm for exploring wind and nuclear energy procurement. The government of Madhya Pradesh, through Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Limited (RUMSL), is supplying solar power to Indian Railways from its largest solar park,” a statement by the ministry of railways said.
Vaishnaw urged all the Indian states to contribute renewable energy, be it wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power to the Indian Railways, mainly emphasizing a collaborative approach to sustainable energy.
Until now, the national transporter has tied up 1500 MW of renewable energy in its efforts to become a net-zero carbon emitter by the year 2030.
“By 2030, Indian Railways' traction power requirement is projected to reach 10,000 MW. So far, it has secured 4,260 MW of installed solar capacity and 3,427 MW of installed wind capacity to meet its energy needs,” Vaishnaw was quoted as saying by the ministry.