Freightliner, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W), in partnership with a consortium of specialist suppliers, has been successful in securing government funding to develop a dual-fuel solution for the Class 66 locomotive.
The technology is one of the 30 winners of the latest round of the First of a Kind (FOAK) competition announced today by the Transport Secretary. Already the safest and greenest mode of ground-freight transportation, the competition has been aimed at making the railways even cleaner, greener and more passenger friendly.
Freightliner have a total of 113 Class 66 locomotives, out of a UK total of well over 400. If the project succeeds, this could cut a large amount of carbon emissions from UK rail freight.
The press release gives these project partners.
The key project partners are Freightliner, which operates over 113 Class-66s in the UK, and Clean Air Power, providers of innovative clean air solutions for freight. The project is also supported by Network Rail, Tarmac, Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB), Flogas, Carrickarory and the University of Birmingham.
It is a comprehensive group of partners, which probably covers all aspects.
- From their web site, Clean Air Power would appear to have the expertise for the project, with back-up from the University of Birmingham, who seem to be involved in several high-profile rail projects.
- The early involvement of standards must be a good thing.
- Flogas are a gas company
- Carrickarory would appear to be consultants specialising in rail.
Getting the team right is important in having a successful project.
The press release gives these project objectives.
The project will investigate the ability to substitute diesel with both hydrogen and biogas on the Class-66 locomotive which hauls over 80% of freight on the UK rail network and, in doing so, reduce carbon emissions on one of the industry’s most challenging two-stroke locomotives.
This will be achieved by retrofitting the Class 66 with Clean Air Power’s precision injection technology, creating a Class 66 that can run on a combination of diesel, biogas and hydrogen.
Sounds a good set of reduced carbon objectives!
Freightliner has announced that it is switching out their new electric locos for older diesel ones because Network Rail has doubled the price for electric fuel.
Surely the supply is not ‘metered’ but estimated on journey and haul? Anyone know if Hybrids would now be maximising their on-board diesel capacity.
Have not seen this covered on the site so may be of wider interest.
Network Rail devised metering policies some 10 years ago but there has not been any requirement for it.
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-commercial/information-for-operators/on-train-metering/
GoVIa say the majority of electric train operating companies are charged by Network Rail for their estimated use of electricity on the basis of modelled consumption rates. At the end of the year when the estimated and actual numbers are reconciled train operating companies either pay additional energy costs or in some instances money is returned back.
Train operator Southern has moved to metered electricity billing, by installing meters tracking energy consumption. This means its charges are no longer based on modelled consumption rates, but instead are based on actual metered usage.
This means now Southern can be more certain about the cost of its 322 strong fleet’s energy consumption – with the obvious benefits for more accurate budgeting and cost control. Another benefit of the on-train meters is the ability Southern has to realise the benefit of monitoring efficient driving. Train drivers are encouraged to ‘coast’ on identified parts of the network.
In 2011 South West Trains, the UK’s biggest commuter rail franchise, announced the start of a new initiative designed to cut energy consumption on its trains by up to 10% a year. The first five trains to be equipped with the TEMS, also known as the railway energy meter, were on the London Waterloo to Reading line. A total of 20 trains were scheduled to be equipped with the technology by May 2011.
The energy meter allows the South West Trains engineering team to accurately determine the energy used by trains on a specific route. One of the biggest impacts is the ability to improve the environmental performance of every South West Trains service, by developing new eco-friendly driving techniques which reduce electricity consumption. The scheme was to generate valuable data for train engineers and driver managers. It was to advise drivers on the techniques most appropriate to the individual route to maximise the efficient use of the electricity.
IEP CLASS 800/801 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM an EN-compliant energy meter to record energy consumption and regeneration are fitted to the train.
https://www.haslerrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HaslerRail_EnergyMetering_EN_v1.pdf
The Stadler Flirts on Anglia mabe have Energy Meters.