Kolkata: A collaborative study by the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) and TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) has identified 60 locations with infrastructure to set up 124 electric bus chargers.
The study assumes significance in the backdrop of WBTC’s ambitious target of increasing its electric bus fleet to 1260 by 2025, up from the present fleet of over 100 e-buses.
The GIS-based study captured the traffic pattern of the city and New Town, along with vehicles’ density and assessment of the existing fleets in and around the city.
TERI has recently launched an EV web portal to map the long-term infrastructure requirements for charging electric vehicles (EVs) in Kolkata, projecting needs up to 2050. It has also launched a short video titled “Decarbonising Kolkata’s Public Transport”, advocating for low-emission, future-ready transit systems that serve both environmental and social goals.
A public fleet decarbonisation strategy for Kolkata has been prepared as part of this study, outlining a deployment schedule of public buses under WBTC, ferries and 3-wheelers till 2050. The roadmap has identified the potential impact on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the city because of electrifying public transportation systems, as well as opportunities for integrating renewable power with these systems.
In addition, the roadmap enables WBTC to identify potential funding sources and revenue streams to facilitate fleet electrification and associated infrastructure upgrades.
The study has projected a total reduction of 30,159 tonnes of CO (carbon monoxide) emissions by 2050, which is a significant number that will contribute to the sustainable development of Kolkata. “The implementation of this decarbonisation plan is crucial, as it improves the air quality in the city, reducing the health hazards associated with air pollution and climate change,” said AK Saxena, Senior Director, TERI.
As per the calculations, a total reduction of 13,472 tonnes of NOx (nitrous oxide) emissions by 2050 is projected.
The potential for solar power generation was analysed and it was found that at bus depots, the solar power generation potential is 5.70 GWh per annum. For other charging stations’ locations (for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers), the solar generation potential is based on the rooftops available close to the charging station site and is estimated to be 603 GWh per annum.
Based on the decarbonisation model developed for public transportation for modes such as buses, ferries and three-wheelers, the overall emission reductions over the period from 2022 to 2050 would be around 6 million tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) with 800 tons of CO2e per day.