Indian Railways’ Nuclear Power Plans: Net Zero Goals Force Rethink, Solar And Wind Also On Anvil

The Railways, as per recent reports, is looking at nuclear power along with solar and wind energy in its attempt to diversify power sources. 

The carrier spent over Rs 20,000 crore on electricity in 2023 to run its trains. Besides the cost of consuming electricity, the environmental cost of such consumption is huge. 

In India almost 50 per cent of electricity generated in 2024 came from coal according to the Climate and Energy Dashboard. This makes emissions an obvious offshoot.

India’s efforts to achieve Net Zero goals will be greatly helped by reducing such consumption of coal-driven power.

As per the Energy Statistics 2024 report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Railways' electricity consumption rose by 77 per cent from 2013 to 2023. In 2012-13, the electricity consumption stood at 14,100 GigaWatt Hour, and reached 25,000 GWH in 2022-2023. 

Though these numbers are alarming, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Indian Railways, much like other big greenhouse gases-emitting organisations, had committed to the target of going Net Zero by 2030.  

The Railways is also aiming to complete 100 per cent electrification of its network. Currently, it operates both electricity and diesel-powered locomotives. 

With the 2030 goal in mind, the bid for 100 per cent electrification will make it easier for the Railways to transition to renewable energy. 

Despite experts noting the mammoth task at hand, these leaps could just help the Railways cross the sustainability finish line in time.

The Railways' Sustainable Efforts

Besides diversifying energy sources, Indian Railways has taken steps to increase energy efficiency in areas other than running trains. 

This includes sustainable buildings where renewable energy will be utilised. A cloud-based data monitoring and management portal has also been initiated to track energy consumption and other important data of Indian Railways. 

It has procured equipment and appliances from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to conserve energy. Its production units now manufacture energy-efficient three-phase electric locomotives with regenerative braking features, a technology that helps a locomotive save energy when it slows down.

These regenerative braking features are in Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU), Kolkata Metro rakes, and Vande Bharat trains so far.

The Railways have implemented Head on Generation (HOG) technology, an electricity supply system to power trains from overhead equipment, for train lighting, air conditioning, and other passenger needs. 

It has also installed LED lights in buildings and coaches, which use less electricity compared to conventional lamps.

The Railway sector was brought under the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme by BEE to improve energy efficiency from 2016 to 2019. 

Under the market-based PAT scheme, designated consumers are given an energy efficiency target and are given incentives if they achieve them. 

According to BEE's Impact of Energy Efficiency Measure for 2021-22 report, 22 designated consumers from the Railway sector were recognised in the second cycle of the PAT scheme. These 22 were given the energy-saving target of 0.077 million tonnes of oil equivalent.

At the end of the second PAT Cycle, the 22 designated consumers saved 0.196 million tonnes of oil equivalent and overachieved their target. 

These figures are a huge boost to the Railways in saving energy, but, in the larger scheme of things, it is still marginal, given the volume of electricity it consumes. 

Experts, however, are quick to note that the Railways have been put in effort to be environmentally conscious and sustainable. 

Sankalp Suman, deputy head at Energy and Environment-ISMA and climate change expert, told The Secretariat: "Indian Railways have made significant progress in reducing their carbon impact. They are one of the most promising case studies to have come out of the public sector on proactive and ambitious climate leadership as well as its execution on the ground. That said, there is still a long way to go."

"The Indian Railways, first and foremost needs to calculate, monitor, and report the environmental cost incurred in a periodic, transparent, and verifiable manner. It is quite ambitious for the Indian Railways to go to Net Zero by the end of this decade as the rate of growth will only get higher for both energy/electricity consumption as well as the number of trains due to the ever-expanding and crucial role it plays for the public in terms of commute," he added.

With less than six years left for its Net Zero by 2030 goal, Indian Railways' is now zeroing in on a sustainable power source.

The Nuclear Source

Nuclear energy has been discussed as a means to India's energy ends. The Centre has bet big on it in its 2024-25 budget session. Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, noted that India's installed nuclear power capacity will triple by 2031-32. 

Singh's statement makes all the more sense given the Railways' plan to use nuclear power to supplement solar and wind energy already in use. An Economic Times report said the Railways had authorised 211 MegaWatts of solar and 103 MW of wind power. 

France and Belgium are said to be the only countries that use nuclear power to run trains. But given the size and scale of the Indian Railway network, the extent to which nuclear power will be utilised is not clear.  

But can these baby steps help the Railways reach net zero? Perhaps not. Experts chalk out a potential roadmap.

What Can Indian Railways Do To Get To Net Zero?

"While the Railways may not fully be able to transition to renewable energy in such a short time, it can still offset environmental costs through carbon markets," Suman added. 

He added that Indian Railways have to look at offsetting emissions that can't be avoided.  "The Railways need to be early investors in the carbon markets and invest in forest/marine rejuvenation projects today, to yield carbon credits for the coming decade and be on track toward the Net Zero goal by 2030; this would also be more cost-effective than buying offsets annually ex-post facto," he noted. 

The Budget noted that the government is working to transition "hard to abate" sectors to the carbon market. This would mean the Railways would be one of the first few organisations to be included in the Compliance Carbon Market. 

Experts note that there are other strategies the Railways can look into other than the carbon markets to mitigate future emissions.

Suman said building up battery storage systems, which will help trains utilise solar power, even at night, and perhaps transition to solar completely, would be critical innovations. 

"The Indian Railways can also develop this capacity by sponsoring R&D in low carbon technology for rail transport," he noted.

While the track ahead is fraught with challenges, the Railways should stick to its never-say-die attitude to change.