DB opens the largest organic fuelling station in Eastern Germany. From now on, the shunting locomotives at the marshalling yard in Halle will only be fueled with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a biofuel made from biological residues and waste materials.
Around one million liters of HVO will be refueled at the Halle (Saale) marshalling yard this year, according to DB estimates.
With HVO, almost CO2-neutral supply chains are possible right up to the last mile. The DB Cargo dual-fuel locomotive copes very well with the fuel made from old french fries oil.
“The best solution is often the simplest solution – that’s exactly what we’ve done here in Halle: With the largest HVO fuelling station in Eastern Germany, we’re making the delivery and supply chains green right up to the last mile. We can use our existing locomotive fleet for this, which is sustainable,” says Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, DB Board Member for Freight Transport.
The conversion of the fuelling station to the environmentally friendly fuel was carried out by DB Energie. With a turnover of around 1 million liters of HVO100, the station in Halle is the largest HVO fuelling station in eastern Germany. DB Cargo will use around eight million liters of climate-neutral fuel nationwide this year, saving around 25,000 tons of CO 2. By 2028, DB Cargo wants to fill up around 24 million liters of HVO, thereby reducing the burden on the environment by around 72,000 tons of CO 2 .
The station in Halle, which has been converted from diesel to HVO100, is also available to other railway companies. There are other HVO stations in eastern Germany in Magdeburg-Rothensee and Katzhütte. DB Energie already operates 21 fuelling stations nationwide where the biofuel can be filled up.
Both the locomotive models, which are up to 60 years old, and the most modern generation of locomotives from DB Cargo are designed to run on biofuel. For around three months, the modern dual-power locomotive has been proving itself in tough practical use with DB Cargo customers.
By investing in the Siemens “Vectron Dual Mode light” dual-power locomotives, DB Cargo is sending a clear signal for sustainability.
The phase-out of diesel is a key lever for DB to become climate-neutral by 2040. The group is pursuing a technology-open approach. For existing diesel vehicles, DB is relying on bridging technologies such as alternative fuels, and for new vehicles on new forms of propulsion such as hydrogen and battery technology. These measures complement classic electrification via overhead lines and electric traction.
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