Delhi Metro uses solar energy for almost 60% of its electricity needs. It plans to run all its operations on solar by 2021. Once this is done, it would become the world’s first 100% green energy metro rail network.
The Delhi Metro, an engineering marvel is recognised as the best in the world. With a total operational length of 327 km with 236 stations en route, the Delhi metro has joined the golden club of London, Shanghai, Beijing and New York metro network that have a metro network length of more than 300 kms.
It not only has India’s tallest escalators but the deepest and smallest stations as well. In 2011, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation became the world’s first railway network to earn carbon credits from the United Nations for helping cut Greenhouse gas emissions by almost 6,30,000 tonnes a year.
Delhi metro is dedicated to provide Environment friendly system to the nation. As part of it, DMRC had set its own solar mission, for which DMRC had been installing Solar PV(Photovoltaic) power plants at various locations in the existing and upcoming networks of DMRC.
From Thursday onwards, DMRC started receiving solar power from Rewa Solar Power Project based in Madhya Pradesh. On Thursday, DMRC received 27 MW power from the project and it will gradually increase to 99 MW.
The power received from Rewa will be utilised for the operational as well as auxiliary requirements of the Delhi Metro. Till now, the solar power generated by the roof top solar plants installed in DMRC premises were utilised for the auxiliary requirements such as lighting & air conditioning of stations, depots etc, a statement by the DMRC read.