NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation earned over Rs.2 crore from the sale of its 82,000 Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) under the carbon credits scheme by the Japan Finance Carbon Limited for the years 2008 and 2009.
DMRC earned Rs.1.07 crore from the sale of 39,000 CERs for the year 2008 and Rs.1.33 crore from the sale of 43,000 CERs for the year 2009.
The payments, received in March-April this year, totalled Rs.2.41 crore.
“The DMRC was the first railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations under the clean development mechanism which enabled it to claim carbon credits for the use of regenerative braking system in its rolling stock (trains),” said DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.
This was the first time in the world that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) had registered a project based on regenerative braking, added Mr. Dayal.
The regenerative braking process involves regenerating electrical energy each time trains on the metro network apply brakes. A three phase-traction motor installed on the trains acts as electrical energy generator whenever brakes are applied.
This regenerated electrical energy goes back into overhead electricity lines, from where it is used by other accelerating trains on the same service line.
This system reduces 30 per cent electricity requirement on the line, said Mr. Dayal.
A Germany-based validation organization TUV NORD conducted an audit on behalf of UNFCCC in 2009 and certified that DMRC had stopped the emission of 90,004 tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2004 and 2007 by using regenerative braking systems in Delhi Metro trains.
Mr. Dayal said the earning from sale of CERs would be used to offset additional investment and operation costs incurred due to the implementation of project activity, to stimulate research and development activities by DMRC, to develop technology to reduce green house gases emission and for extensive training of train operators for optimum regeneration.
