If its solar-powered train project becomes a success, Indian Railways can radically cut carbon emissions, doing its bit to address climate change concerns.
When the Union Science and Technology Ministry recently accepted a proposal to experiment with a solar-powered goods train, it marked the beginning of research aimed at addressing a major socio- economic concern of the day.
Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan told The Hindu during a recent interaction that it was such kind of out-of-the-box scientific research that would now be the focus of the Ministry.
On Friday, the Ministry started a two-day chintan shivir (brainstorming meet) at the Indian Institute of Petroleum in Dehradun for scientists to discuss the potential for similar research projects with a practical value.
Four months ago, S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, a Kolkata-based scientist, had submitted a proposal for the solar-powered goods train project to the Ministry, now being tested for feasibility. Speaking to The Hindu on the phone, Mr. Chaudhuri, Professor at the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, said though the project was in its conceptual phase, it was likely to work.
“Since 95 per cent of the trains are connected to the grid, the solar power generated can contribute to the grid, when the train is stationary,” he said.
The Integral Coach Factory, in collaboration with the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, will begin testing a solar-powered train project.
This will be restricted to testing the viability of using solar panels to power electric devices such as air-conditioners and lights in the train and not in running the train itself, which was hard to achieve, IISc Professor Sheela K. Ramasesha said.
