Varanasi Illuminates with India's Pioneering Railroad Solar Energy Panels
The small city of Varanasi, in the heart of India, has taken a significant step towards sustainability with the installation of removable solar panels between railway tracks. This innovative project, developed by local engineers, is being closely watched as a potential game-changer in the transport sector's transition towards sustainability.
The solar panel system, powered by two Scott-connected 100 MVA transformers, is part of Indian Railways' larger clean energy roadmap. It further advances the Railways' green agenda by promising a more efficient electricity delivery for trains, potentially reducing carbon emissions significantly.
The project, unveiled at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) by the Ministry of Railways, is designed to be removable, allowing for routine maintenance and seasonal adaptations. This feature ensures no disruption to rail operations during track maintenance, exemplifying efficient use of existing infrastructure space and avoiding costly land acquisition.
The solar panel model installed in Varanasi, if expanded, could generate 3.21 lakh units (kWh) of electricity per kilometre every year. This generated electricity could be used to power essential railway operations such as station lighting, signalling systems, or even be supplied back to the grid.
Officials estimate that yard lines and underutilised track spaces could be transformed into productive zones for solar power, significantly reducing the organisation's dependency on conventional energy. The solar panel system has a total capacity of 15 KWp, with 28 solar panels covering a 70-metre stretch.
The Ministry of Railways announced the achievement on its official platform, hailing the project as a boost for homegrown innovation in addition to being a green initiative. If scaled successfully, the BLW solar track system could help India meet its renewable energy and climate goals while setting an example for railways worldwide.
The solar panel project in Varanasi demonstrates a vision of greener journeys for the future, symbolizing not just a technical innovation, but also a step towards making trains a more sustainable mode of transport in India. It is part of Indian Railways' broader decarbonization and sustainability strategy, which includes installing rooftop solar plants at stations and depots, and investing in large-scale renewable projects across different states.
If expanded nationwide across Indian Railways' 1.2 lakh km (120,000 km) of track, especially utilizing yard lines, this could potentially generate up to around 350,000 units per year per kilometer of track. This clean electricity would offset significant carbon dioxide emissions, given that coal-based power emits roughly 0.82 kg CO₂ per kWh in India. Avoiding fossil-based grid power for this volume could reduce emissions by about 34.4 million tonnes per year, marking a significant contribution to India’s renewable energy expansion and carbon neutrality efforts.
In conclusion, expanding the Varanasi removable solar panels project nationwide across Indian Railways' 120,000 km network could generate tens of billions of kWh of clean electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions by tens of millions of tonnes per year, making a significant stride towards India’s Net-Zero 2070 carbon target.
References: 1. Indian Railways' Solar Track Project 2. Indian Railways' Green Initiatives 3. Varanasi Solar Panel Project
