Railway's biggest windmill project to be opened in Jaisalmer.

In a bid to promote non-conventional energy sources, railways with an investment of Rs. 160 crore has set up wind power project in Dangri village at Fatehgarh sub-division in Jaisalmer district.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu will inaugurate railway's biggest 25MW power project on December 30. The preparations for the same are all done, and Prabhu will inaugurate the project from Delhi by pressing the remote but on. BSNL is providing all the technical support. Post this, soon most of the trains in the north region will move using wind energy.

According to senior official sources of railway elec rical section, the Union rail ministry in a bid to reduce diesel consumption and fuel expenses, is working on an action plan wherein engines and trains moving on fuel could run on non-conventional energy.

The rail ministry in the next five years, plans to set up around 1,000MW solar power projects and a large number of windmill units.The efforts have been started in this regard, for which the rail ministry's associate company IRCTC has set up a new company Railway Energy Management Company (REMC). This company is working at a great pace on setting up solar power project and windmill projects, while also inviting tenders from the private sector.

Sources said that at pre sent, around Rs. 20,000 crore is being spent on fuel, while the expense on electricity being Rs. 10,000 crore. Looking to this, more emphasis is being given on electrification of railway lines. With the possibility of increased power consumption, efforts have been started to set up nonconventional power projects.It was keeping this in mind, that the railway board last year on January 24, 2014, had issued orders to set up windmill projects of 25MW.

Confirming this North West Railway CPRO cum DGM Tarun Jain said railway minister Suresh Prabhu will inaugurate railway's biggest 25 MW windmill project from Delhi, by pressing the button of a remote.

On this ocassion, additional GM NWR Arvind Kumar, Jodhpur DRM Rahul Kumar, MP Sonaram Choudhary and MLA Chotu Singh Bhati will be present at Jaisalmer's Dangri village site at the time of inauguration.

TOI