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Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Indian Railways, UNDP to hold Efficient Energy Technology Summit

Indian Railways, UNDP to hold Efficient Energy Technology Summit

New Delhi: Indian Railways said on Monday it will partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to organise an international energy efficient technology summit on Friday.

“It is first of its kind initiative that the ministry of railways is partnering with the UNDP to explore the latest energy efficiency solutions and technology that it can reduce energy bills and facilitate sustainable development. The international summit is a step in this direction,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry elaborated that Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has given a lot of emphasis on energy conservations and energy saving programmes which he outlined in the railway budget speech 2015-16.

“On his directions the Indian Railways has been undertaking detailed energy audit which will reveal huge potential for energy saving,” the ministry said.

The summit will facilitate dissemination of information on important advances made in design and delivery of electric traction technologies and other solutions in the rail sector.

During the event, research work of experts from the field of energy efficiency will be presented. On the sidelines of the event, new technologies and innovative solutions to improve energy efficiency in the rail sector will also be showcased by technology leaders.

Also, the summit will provide a platform for policy makers, manufacturers, researchers and other stakeholders to discuss potential energy efficiency solutions and technologies for reducing the railways’ carbon footprint.

Organizers
Ministry of Railways (MoR), Government of India & The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The partnership is supported by The Global Environment Facility and Institution of Railway Electrical Engineers.

The Ministry of Railways is a Ministry in the Government of India, responsible for the country’s rail transport. The ministry also operates the state-owned Indian Railways, to provide rail transport to people at large. Indian Railway (IR) has one of world’s largest rail networks comprising 115,000 km (71,000 mile) of track over a route of 65,436 km (40,660 mile) and 8,495 stations. In 2014-15, IR carried 8.397 billion passengers’ i.e. more than 23 million passengers a day (roughly half were suburban passengers) and 1050.18 million tons of freight. Indian Railways prepares an annual budget to effectively manage the operations distributed in vast network of 17 zones across the nation. There are six production units engaged in manufacturing rolling stock, wheels and axles and other ancillary components to meet IR requirements. In addition, a number of specialized units like the Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), training institutes and corporations have been set up that provide special services. IR is managed by the Railway Board under the Ministry of Railways. The ministry has an objective of improving efficiency and adopting latest technologies in the rail network. In this direction, it has developed the long-term energy efficiency and conservation programme for a greener tomorrow.

The Institution of Railway Electrical Engineers (IREE) is a professional body of Railway Electrical Engineers. It is a technical body under the auspices of the Ministry of Railways, sharing knowledge and experience of various Railway engineers and others connected with Electrical Engineering. The Institution, registered at Nasik in 1995, have been recognized by the Railway Board in the year 1998. The Institution aims to disseminate and share their technical knowledge among Railway officials and industry regarding the available and new technology related to design, construction and maintenance of electrical assets, including energy management portfolio. IREE is adopting various emerging technologies to serve the need of Railway Electrical Engineering.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partners with governments and people to help build nations and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries, UNDP offers global perspective and local insight and provides technical assistance, policy advice and development support services using flexible implementation modalities. UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in virtually all areas of human development from democratic governance to poverty eradication to sustainable energy and environmental management. UNDP’s programmes are aligned directly with national priorities and are reviewed and adjusted annually. UNDP in India is committed to promoting low carbon, climate resilient, inclusive development and support the Government of India in meeting national development objectives along with commitments under important multilateral environment agreements. Key areas of intervention are climate change (mitigation and adaptation), sustainable natural resource management (conserving biodiversity and addressing land degradation) and integrated chemical management (phasing out of ozone depleting substances and reducing persistent organic pollutants). UNDP’s partnership with the Ministry of Railways is promoting energy efficiency in the Indian railways, one of the world’s largest railway networks. Since 2009, UNDP has been privileged to support a project with the Ministry aimed at removing key with the barriers that prevent wider adoption of energy efficiency technologies and measures in the railway system.

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