Indian Railways’ big achievement in energy efficiency! Recently, the Golden Rock Railway Workshop (GOC) in Tiruchchirappalli, under Southern Railways, has bagged 22nd National Award for Excellence in Energy Management from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). According to a statement issued by Southern Railways, GOC Workshop is the only workshop of the Indian Railways network to have received the award from CII this year for adopting and implementing various energy conservation measures. So far, the GOC workshop of Indian Railways has bagged the prestigious award twice.
Instituted by CII, the purpose of the National Awards for excellence in Energy Management is to catalyze significant as well as innovative practices in the energy efficiency sector, Southern Railways said. This annual event is conducted by CII to acknowledge and award excellence in energy management among the industrial sector and Indian Railways workshops across the nation as well as facilitate sharing of information on best practices and technologies. The 60-year-old GOC has adopted best energy conservation technologies and practices, which are as follows:
- Despite Covid-19 lockdown challenges, the workshop increased its production by 19.42 per cent
- The measures on conservation of energy have led to reduction of electrical and thermal energy consumption by 25.6 per cent
- Installation of IOT-based condition monitoring system in three electrical substations as well as 45 machines. Besides, the monitoring system has been installed in one 3-Tier AC coach as well, now running in Trichy-Howrah Express rake.
- Inside the workshop, two MIYAWAKI gardens were developed comprising 4000 saplings inclusive of 500 saplings of Bheema Bamboos
- During the year, the workshop achieved 28.87 per cent reduction in carbon footprint
- Energy saving, in movement of coach bogies, has been effected up to 46 per cent through movement by railway instead of by road between workshop and divisions which resulted in 67 per cent CO2 emission reduction as well