New Delhi, Nov 6: Railways will formulate a comprehensive energy efficiency plan to reduce energy bill by Rs 5000 cr in the next five years.
“Energy bill is the second largest in railways after salary and pension. So we have to use the energy in a such a way so as to optimise the cost,” Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here on Friday.
While the diesel bill is about Rs 22,000 cr, the electricity cost is about Rs 12,500 cr a year in railways.
Addressing the global meet on “Energy Efficient Technologies in Railways”, Prabhu said, “We have to focus on energy efficiency as it is very very important. The need is to use less energy with more efficiency.”
He said there are many options like solar power, wind energy, bio-diesel, waste to energy projects to reduce energy cost as well as carbon emission.
Pitching for latest technology and innovative solutions for energy saving and cost reduction, Prabhu said, “We have to make a road map for it so that railways could reduce the enrgy bill by Rs 5000 cr in the next five years. A comprehensive energy efficiency plan needs to be worked out.”
He said railways have undertaken energy audits to know the ground situation.
