Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat to get 60% power from ₹450 crore solar plant; when does it start What does the agreement say? | Today’s news
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has bagged a power purchase agreement for a 110 MW solar power project that is expected to supply nearly 60% of the electricity required for the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor, according to a statement on Saturday.
Solar equipment, with an estimated investment of approx ₹450 crore, will be developed at Jaulan in Uttar Pradesh and is likely to be commissioned within 24 months.
The electricity generated by the plant will be transmitted through the Uttar Pradesh state grid to NCRTC substations in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi from where it will be supplied along the Namo Bharat Corridor.
Under the agreement, the NCRTC will purchase the electricity generated by the solar plant at a predetermined rate for a period of 25 years. The pact is meant to ensure more stable energy costs for the corridor while reducing its dependence on electricity generated from conventional sources, according to PTI.
Power costs currently account for around 30-35% of the total operating costs of the Namo Bharat Corridor.
According to the NCRTC, this solar project could reduce its annual electricity expenditure by about 25%. The facility is also expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 1.77 lakh tonnes every year along with reducing pollutants including nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.
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The power purchase agreement was signed by NCRTC and NIRL NCRTC Renewables Ltd (NNRL), a joint venture between NCRTC and NIRL, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Neyveli Lignite Corporation, according to the statement.
The NCRTC said the project is being developed as a renewable energy initiative for regional rapid transit and metro networks across India. He added that the project could serve as a model for incorporating own renewable energy into urban and regional public transport systems.
Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat crosses 4 million passengers; the daily number of passengers is close to 1,000,000
Meanwhile, ridership on the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor continues to grow since the entire route was commissioned in February this year. The corridor now sees around one million passengers every day, with the total number of passengers crossing four million trips, according to the NCRTC.
Read also | PM Modi flags Meerut Metro, Namo Bharat in Meerut
The transport company said that the daily ridership hit a record high of over 1.68 million passengers on August 28, which was Raksha Bandhan.
The signing ceremony was attended by NCRTC Managing Director Shalabh Goel, NIRL Chief Financial Officer and Designated CMD Prasanna Kumar Acharya, NCRTC Chief Financial Officer Namita Mehrotra and Director Electrical Engineering and Rolling Stock Mahendra Kumar.
The Ghaziabad-Jewar corridor will include 11 Namo Bharat stations and 18 metro stations, NCRTC says
In other news, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida International Airport are among the locations earmarked for Namo Bharat stations on the proposed 72.44 km long Ghaziabad-Jewar corridor, based on station details released by NCRTC.
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The planned route will have 11 stations for Namo Bharat services and 18 stations offering metro connectivity. This will enable passengers to use both regional rapid transit and metro services when traveling between Ghaziabad, Noida and the airport.
However, according to the official, the project is currently at the stage of preparing a detailed project report (DPR).
The Ghaziabad-Jewar corridor will be extended by 72.44 km and will connect Ghaziabad station on the existing Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor with Noida International Airport at Jewar. About 71.5 km of the route is planned to be elevated, while the remaining 1.29 km will be underground, the NCRTC said.
(With agency input)
