Mumbai: Monorail stations in Mumbai will become partially solar-powered. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is in charge of the monorail project, said the idea is to generate a part of each station's requirement from the solar units there.
The plan is to install solar panels above the stations and utilise the power for facilities not directly linked to the trains – like lift, fans, water pumps etc. Tenders have been floated for installation of solar units initially at the stations on Chembur-Wadala route. The tender is for installation and maintenance for a period of 25 years.
Power consumption will increase and bills will shoot up once the second stage of the metro's monorail project is completed from Wadala to Jacob Circle. Thoughts about such a possibility is what prompted the solar plan.
Solar installation will be expensive, but in the long run there will be substantial savings on the power bill.
The MMRDA is hoping to launch the Wadala-Jacob Circle monorail service by January, the second stage in the metro city's monorail service which was launched in 2014. Authorities expect the second route to be a milestone that transforms the metro city's traffic entirely. Compared to the Chembur-Wadala phase, the second phase will be useful for more people because this service will link the local services with central railway and western railway.
Foreign firm Scomi is currently running the phase one (Chembur-Wadala). The second phase has to begin soon to improve the service. It was reported that MMRDA will ask Scomi to provide rakes that are needed for the second phase immediately or it will look at initiating action against it.
