25,000 solar panels to be installled on RRTS route to generate power for project

As part of their renewable and sustainable practices, the NCR transport corporation, the agency in charge of executing the 82-km-long Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, inaugurated the solar power plant at Duhai Depot in Ghaziabad on Saturday. According to officials, the entire project is proposed to adopt and tap solar energy by installing 25,000 solar panels at 25 stations and two major depots in Duhai and Modipuram (Meerut).Work on the project to connect Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut by 2025 is moving quickly. In Ghaziabad, a 17km priority section with five RRTS stations is nearly finished and awaiting formal inauguration.

“The solar power plant has an installed capacity of 585 kWp (Kilowatt peak power output), with solar panels installed at various depot buildings, including the workshop. This solar plant is expected to generate approximately 666,000 units of solar energy per year over its estimated lifespan of 25 years. The plant is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 615 tonnes per year, contributing to a remarkable reduction of 15,375 tonnes over its lifetime,” NCRTC said in a statement on Saturday.“It positions the Duhai Depot as a ‘Green Depot…’ This achievement of Duhai Depot translates into going beyond ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission’ for auxiliary loads,” the statement added.

According to officials, a similar plant will be built at the Modipuram Depot.“The solar plant at Duhai Depot not only has enough capacity to power the entire depot but there will be enough surplus left over to be used in other RRTS operations. We anticipate that approximately 25,000 solar panels will be installed at the stations and depots along the entire 82km RRTS stretch. The entire solar installation will be able to produce at least 11MW of power using solar energy, which is cheaper than electricity,” said an NCRTC spokesperson.

The RRTS project proposes to run RapidX trains between Delhi and Meerut to provide fast connectivity. The design speed of these trains is 180kmph.The solar panels will also be installed on foot-over bridges. However, officials could not provide accurate estimates of total electrical power consumption for the RRTS project.According to the available space, they estimate that 16 of the project’s 25 large stations can get approximately 1,100 solar panels on their rooftops, while the remaining nine smaller stations can get approximately 400 solar panels.