ECoR Towards Net Zero Carbon Emission
Bhubaneswar, (Kalinga Voice) : East Coast Railway observed Energy Conservation Week from 8th to 14th December-2020. March Past was organized in all 03 divisions and staff and officers were round the colonies with slogans and placards on awareness of Energy Conservation. Under the guidance of Shri Basudev Panda, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, East Coast Railway conducted a webinar on 14th December to mark the energy conservation day celebration. Booklets on awareness have also been distributed among the staff and officers of Headquarters and Divisions.
ECoR has 96.6% of electrified track out of 2708 route KM and the remaining 105 route KM is targeted for completion in 2020-21. With this, ECoR will become completely electrified railway zone by March 2021. This was possible with consistent focus on electrification by the leadership of General Manager, Shri Vidya Bhushan.
With addition of 1140 route KM electrified route in last 5 years in ECoR, 71.75% of goods and 80.80% of 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 in railway premises will reduce dependency on fossil fuel based electricity and result in reduction in emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases.
Thus, ECoR focusing on solar energy for long term energy security and ecological security by reducing carbon emission. ECoR has planned commissioning of solar plants on roof tops of various buildings, workshops, hospitals, railway stations totaling 13.5 MWp to substitute 20% 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 96000 tones per annum.
Since 2016, ECoR has taken a mission mode initiative to replace the existing florescent based system with energy efficient LED lights in office building, railway stations, workshops and sheds, residential colonies, etc. With the provision of LED lights, total 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 8500 tones per annum.
During 2019-20, 38 pairs of trains have been converted to Head on Generation (HOG) system to substitute the diesel oil 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 savings of 7800 kilo litres of diesel which is Rs. 48 crores per annum.
In addition ECoR has initiated number of energy conservation programs to reduce energy consumption by reducing wastage, promoting use of star rated appliances and identifying areas having opportunities for conservation with periodical energy audit.
As a result of a recent energy audit carried out a BBE-accredited energy auditor, ECoR has earned a total of 16871 Energy exchange, to accrue revenue to the Railways, as a part of PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade) scheme of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
