The Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) has set up a solar power system at its Hingna Depot, which is located between the tracks. This makes it the first metro operator in India to set up a solar power facility between tracks.
The pilot project covers 200 meters and includes monocrystalline solar panels that can produce 50 kilowatts of peak power. The system was made to handle vibrations from moving trains while also making use of the space between tracks, which was not being used for anything productive purpose.
The depot will use the electricity generated by the solar panels to power its own operations. This will make it less reliant on traditional grid power and make metro operations more energy efficient. The project is claimed to be implemented using the PPP scheme, which facilitated the implementation of the project without any need for upfront investments from MahaMetro.
Indian Railways and the National Capital Region Transport Corporation had looked into putting solar panels between train tracks before, but no metro rail operator in India has ever done so before.
The current project was studied by the Electrical Department’s Solar Energy division of the corporation and executed through a vendor. This pilot will be considered for further expansion only after its performance is reviewed.
Nagpur Metro is growing its network as part of Phase II, which is when this new thing happened. The expansion will make the metro reach Hingna, Kanhan, and Butibori, adding more track segments that could be looked at for similar renewable energy installations.
The initiative is aimed at maximizing renewable energy utilization by converting idle infrastructure space into productive clean energy assets, aligning with broader sustainability and decarbonization goals in the urban transport sector.
As per MahaMetro, it has been stated that considering the pilot’s success, the solar inter-track model can be applied at other metro depots, such as Mihan depot, and even for any upcoming metro project in India in the coming future.
Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) set a national standard for urban transport by successfully integrating a solar power system between its tracks. This was a big step forward that allows NMRCL to make the most of its existing infrastructure to generate clean energy through this innovative solar power system.
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