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SER in big solar push, to set up 2 MW of projects

South Eastern Railway (SER) is planning to set up a number of solar power projects in the coming years and will start with as many as 60 small projects, totalling 2 megawatt (MW), within this financial year, SER General Manager Ashish Goel said in Kolkata.

Interacting with members of the MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry on January 19, Goel said, “South Eastern Railway would not only be known as one of the freight carrying railways but also the railway which would take pride in harnessing solar power and sharing benefits with its passengers. One day, SER might mean solar energy railway.”

Explaining the solar initiative, Goel informed that the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy Railway, in consultation with the Railway Board, allotted 2 MW of solar power projects out of 50 MW to Railways in December last year.

Now it’s been decided that this proposed 2 MW would be implemented at 50-60 locations including Rourkela, Chakradharpur, Tatanagar, Adra, Bakra and Kharagpur which would entail installation of 50-100 kilowatt solar panels, encompassing rooftop of buildings apart from stations, he said.

Goel said that locations have already been identified for the projects and tenders have been floated.

After technical assessment, the competent bidders would be selected, he said.