Operail, the Estonian rail operator, and Latvian company DiGas signed an agreement to develop the first LNG freight locomotive in the region.
The first LNG locomotive should be completed next spring and tested in summer 2020. After obtaining the required approvals from Eesti Raudtee and the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, the locomotive is planned to start operation in late 2020.
Operail will invest EUR 250 thousand for the construction of the pilot project. “The production costs of the first locomotive are higher, but after that, the addition of LNG tanks and systems will be much more affordable,” said Raul Toomsalu, Chairman of the Management Board of Operail.
According to the company’s evaluation, to transport one tonne of goods on railways on a distance of 100 km, a locomotive consumes a quarter of the fuel that transporting it on roads. The implementation of LNG locomotives will increase that gap further,” Toomsalu explained.
Operail will reconstruct a General Electric C36 locomotive, which involves dividing the 17,000-litre fuel tank in two – half for diesel fuel and half for LNG – and the addition of new systems. The information systems of an LNG locomotive store all information regarding fuel consumption and data analysis will allow further savings.
“We are constantly looking for solutions that would be friendlier towards the environment. The first LNG freight locomotive is an excellent example of how the use of new technologies not only makes existing processes more efficient, but also helps to preserve the nature around us,” said Raul Toomsalu.
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