

Railways on a green track—eyes 3GW renewable energy for ₹18k crore
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: In what will rank among the largest green energy tenders in the country, the Indian Railways plans to invite bids for 3 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy projects worth ₹18,000 crore in the next fiscal, according to two government officials aware of the development. The move is a part of the behemoth's playbook to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2030 while also significantly slashing its fuel costs.
The carbon footprint reduction plan will help the national carrier save around ₹1 trillion in energy costs by 2030, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. These projects, to be set up on railways’ land, rooftops of 8,000 railway stations and along rail tracks, will be bid out by Railway Energy Management Co Ltd. (REMCL), a joint venture between the Indian Railways and RITES Ltd, as part of the railways’ plan to procure 20GW of green power by 2030.
Green energy will help feed Indian Railways’ track electrification drive, with 69,427 route kilometres electrified, accounting for about 99.2% of its total network, the officials said. Indian Railways has one of the largest land holdings in the country at nearly 5 lakh hectares. Indian Railways is among the country’s largest electricity consumers, with projected consumption of around 72 billion units by FY30 as against 21 billion units now, making power procurement costs a key lever for financial efficiency.
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