Rio Tinto Orders Wabtec FLXdrive Battery Locomotives To Reduce Emissions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Wabtec.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) and Rio Tinto announced today an order for four FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives to support sustainable operations of the mining company’s rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The 100-percent, battery-powered locomotive will help Rio Tinto’s effort to achieve a 50-percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030.
Some other points from the press release.
- The locomotives have 7 MWh batteries.
- The first locomotive will be delivered in 2023.
- The FLXdrive is anticipated to reduce the company’s fuel costs and emissions in percentage by double digits per train.
This paragraph describes how the FLXdrive locomotives will be used.
The mining company plans on using the locomotives in multiple applications including as a shunter in the railyard and ultimately in mainline service. In mainline operations, Rio Tinto currently uses three diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains with 240 cars hauling about 28,000 tons of iron ore. The FLXdrives will transition from the diesel locomotives in mainline service to form a hybrid consist, and recharge during the trip through regenerative braking and at charging stations. Wabtec’s next generation energy-management software system will determine the optimal times to discharge and recharge the batteries along to route ensuring the most fuel-efficient operation of the entire locomotive consist during the trip.
I can see this approach leading to even bigger fuel and emission savings.
Especially, if Wabtec developed a compatible locomotive, that was powered by hydrogen.
This was rumoured in FLXdrive ‘Electrifies’ Pittsburgh, where a partnership between Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU), Genesee & Wyoming and Wabtec to create the Freight Rail Innovation Institute was described.
Conclusion
There certainly seems to be a consensus between some of the world’s largest mining and rail companies about the future of heavy freight trains to support the mining industry.
Why Use A Hydrogen Pipeline Rather Than A Electricity Cable To Bring Electricity Ashore From A Windfarm?
A comment to the post entitled Siemens Gamesa Partners On Offshore Wind-to-Hydrogen, was as follows.
Trying to get my head around this concept. Build an electrolysis plant in the North Sea and run a hydrogen pipeline to shore, rather than generating electricity and transferring the power by undersea cable to a shore based electrolysis plant. Can it really be better technically and economically? Someone convince me.
The reasons probably all come down to saving money and hassle.
Reusing Existing Infrastructure
Supposing, you have an offshore gas field, which is on the point of being worked out.
- It has a well-maintained platform on top.
- It has a pipe to an onshore terminal that handles the natural gas and distributes it to end-users.
Supposing the following are possible.
- Building a large wind farm in the vicinity of the platform.
- Using the gas field for hydrogen storage.
- Converting the gas terminal from natural gas to hydrogen.
- The end-users can convert to hydrogen.
In some cases the end-users might even prefer hydrogen to natural gas, to help their own decarbonisation.
I would suspect that there will be a sound economic case to use hydrogen, where wind farms are developed, in the same areas as worked-out gas fields.
- Platform demolition costs are deferred.
- No HVDC link is needed, with an expensive converter station at the shore end.
- The new system comes with energy storage.
The only extra cost might be that an offshore electrolyser is more expensive than an onshore one.
Engineering Resources
The engineering resources needed for a gas pipeline are different to those needed for an electrical system.
But because gas pipelines are a declining industry, they will be readily available.
Less Planning Hassle
There have been some objections to the development of wind farm terminals by Nimbies.
If a terminal is converted from natural gas to hydrogen, I suspect there will be fewer objections.
Better Control Of Wind Farms
There have been stories of wind farms having to be switched off because there is no-one to buy the electricity.
If some form of offshore hydrogen storage is possible, then the electricity can be used to generate hydrogen, which can be piped ashore, when it is needed.
It Won’t Be One Type Fits All
I suspect we’ll see some hybrid systems and other innovative engineering.
Conclusion
I believe that in a drive to cut costs, we’ll see a lot of energy brought ashore as hydrogen gas.
I
Green Ships Ahoy Along Vital Corridors
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on 7 News Australia.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Australia’s biggest miners are preparing for a day of reckoning.
Shipping accounts for two to three per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions so manufacturers and retailers are no longer just considering what appears in national targets.
The article then goes on to explain how the big mining companies are cutting their emissions.
This paragraph illustrates how important mining and shipping is to Australia.
Resources and energy earnings passed $300 billion for the first time in 2020-21 and will surge towards $400 billion in 2021-22, according to December figures.
Hence the big need for ships fuelled by lower carbon fuels.
‘New Era’ As German Coalition Prioritises Rail Spending Over Road
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
The so-called ‘traffic light coalition’ formed by the Social Democratic, Green and Free Democratic parties as the next federal government has committed to launching a ‘Rapid Capacity Expansion’ to enhance railway infrastructure as part of its wider transport strategy.
Other policies would include.
- A national regular interval timetable as a matter of priority.
- Increasing rail’s share of the freight transport market from the current 19% to 25% by 2030.
- Doubling passenger traffic by the end of the decade.
- Electrify 75 % of the network by 2030.
- Road tolls for trucks would be increased to reflect CO2 emissions.
- New commercial and industrial developments would be mandated to examine the potential for incorporating a rail connection.
- A pressure group, whose name translates as Alliance Pro Rail is in favour.
But will the average German voter in their Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Volkswagen cruising down the autobahn be in favour?
It certainly looks like it will be all change on German railways and roads.
The article is also linked to three in depth articles on the future of German railways published by Railway Gazette in the last few months.
- Comment: Climate Goals To Trump Profits
- German Associations Seek More Competition In Second Rail Reform
- Rail Reopenings To Support Climate-Friendly Transport
It certainly is all change.
Caterpillar To Launch Demonstration Project Using Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology For Backup Power At Microsoft Data Center
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on the Caterpillar web site.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Caterpillar Inc. today announced a three-year project through a collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate a power system incorporating large-format hydrogen fuel cells to produce reliable and sustainable backup power for Microsoft data centers. The project is supported and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the H2@Scale initiative and backed by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).
“At Caterpillar, we focus on supporting our customers with reliable, resilient and economical power solutions while achieving their climate-related goals,” said Jason Kaiser, vice president for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division. “This hydrogen fuel cell demonstration project enables us to collaborate with industry leaders to take a large step toward commercially viable power solutions that also support our customers in making their operations more sustainable.”
It certainly looks like Caterpillar are turning to the use of hydrogen to keep their existing markets.
This press release explains the cooperation in a paragraph.
Caterpillar experts in advanced power technologies, controls and system integration are working alongside Microsoft experts in data center design and Ballard experts in fuel cell design to demonstrate a 1.5 MW backup power delivery and control system that would meet or exceed the expectations set by current diesel engine systems.
Elsewhere the press release says that Caterpillar aims to be carbon negative by 2030.
Conclusion
We will see lots of systems like this providing reliable and sustainable power systems for entities like airports, city centres, data centres, hospitals, ports, shopping malls and other large users of electricity.
Rolls-Royce Invests In Methanol Technology For Climate-Friendly Shipping
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from Rolls-Royce.
The press report starts with these bullet points.
- Rolls-Royce Power Systems to set standards in high-speed marine methanol engines
- New engines based on proven mtu technologies
- Methanol and synthetic diesel as key fuels of the future for climate-friendly engine operation
- Fuel cell another option on the way to climate-neutral ship operation
It then says this
Rolls-Royce is focusing on methanol as a fuel for climate-friendly shipping: Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems is currently working on mtu engines for use with methanol. The new high-speed four-stroke engines, which are based on proven mtu technologies, are planned to be available to customers as soon as possible for use in commercial ships and yachts.
This paragraph gives the reasons, why Rolls-Royce is in favour of methanol.
Methanol offers a number of advantages for Rolls-Royce’s efforts to make shipping more climate-friendly and ultimately climate-neutral: The fuel can be produced in a CO2-neutral manner in the so-called power-to-X process, in which CO2 is captured from the air. The energy density of methanol is high compared to other sustainable fuels and, thanks to its liquid state, it can be easily stored and refuelled at ambient temperatures. Existing infrastructure can continue to be used in many cases. Unlike ammonia, methanol is not highly toxic and is environmentally safe. The combustion of methanol in a pure methanol engine can be climate-neutral with significantly reduced nitrogen oxide emissions, thus eliminating the need for complex SCR exhaust gas aftertreatment. Methanol tanks can be flexibly arranged in the ship and require significantly lower safety measures compared to hydrogen or ammonia. Besides the safety aspects and the lower complexity, the lower investment costs for users are a further upside of the methanol tank system.
Methanol seems to be a convenient and safe fuel, which is easier to incorporate into the marine environment, than hydrogen or ammonia.
Wikipedia says this about methanol’s use in shipping.
Methanol is an alternative fuel for ships that helps the shipping industry meet increasingly strict emissions regulations. It significantly reduces emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. Methanol can be used with high efficiency in marine diesel engines after minor modifications using a small amount of pilot fuel (Dual fuel).
Rolls-Royce certainly seem to be keen to use the fuel. They also seem to have the technology.
Rolls-Royce Makes Duisburg Container Terminal Climate Neutral With MTU Hydrogen Technology
The title of this post, is the same as this press release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the first sentence.
Rolls-Royce will ensure a climate-neutral energy supply at the container terminal currently under construction at the Port of Duisburg, Germany.
There is also this Rolls-Royce graphic, which shows the energy sources.
It would appear batteries, combined heat and power (CHP), grid electricity, hydrogen electrolyser, hydrogen storage and renewable electricity are being brought together to create a climate-neutral energy system.
- As the graphic was named hydrogen technology for ports, I would assume that this is a Rolls-Royce mtu system that will be deployed at more than one port around the world.
- Note the H2 CHPs in the graphic. Could these be applications for Rolls-Royce’s beer keg-sized 2.5 MW electrical generator based on a Super Hercules engine?
- One of Rolls-Royce’s small modular nuclear reactors could be ideal for a large port outside Germany.
This is the last paragraph of the press release.
“Hydrogen technology is no longer a dream of the future, but hydrogen technology will prove itself in everyday use in Duisburg. The parallel use of fuel cell solutions and hydrogen engines shows that we have taken the right path with our technology-open approach to the development of new solutions for the energy supply of the future,” says Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
Rolls-Royce mtu appear to be very serious about the possibilities of hydrogen.
Mote – World’s First Carbon Removal Plant Converting Wood Waste To Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
This paragraph caught my eye.
Mote is also in discussions with carbon utilization company CarbonCure Technologies on the potential of permanently storing its CO2 in concrete via CarbonCure’s carbon removal technologies, deployed in hundreds of CO2 mineralization systems at concrete plants worldwide.
So I looked up CarbonCure Technologies web site.
This page gives an overview of their technology.
According to their web site, they can add carbon dioxide to precast concrete sections. How much carbon dioxide would it have been possible to bury, if the tunnel linings for Crossrail had used CarbonCure’s technology?
What Will Happen To Northern’s Class 195 Trains?
Northern’s Class 195 trains could be a problem in the future.
- They are diesel multiple units.
- There are twenty-five two-car trains and thirty-three three-car trains.
- All cars have a Rolls-Royce MTU 6H1800R85L diesel engine, that drives the train through a ZF EcoLife 6-speed transmission.
- They are 100 mph trains, which is adequate for the routes they serve.
- According to Wikipedia, the trains are designed for a lifespan of thirty-five years, which takes the trains past the date, when it is intended that all trains should be zero-carbon.
It looks to me, that a plan will be needed to decarbonise these trains, as they are probably too new and costly to scrap.
These are possibilities to upgrade them to zero-carbon.
Rebuild as Class 331 Electric Trains
The design of the Class 195 trains is based on the same platform as that of the Class 331 trains.
I would expect that it could be possible to rebuild the Class 195 trains as Class 331 trains.
But it would be an expensive and disruptive process and would require a lot of electrification.
Some battery-electric versions could be created to cut the need for electrification.
Run The Trains On Net-Zero Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Or Other Fuels
In Powered By HVO, I wrote about research going on into the use of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil or HVO.
There is also ongoing research into other net-zero fuels that can be used in a diesel engine.
The process used by Velocys to create sustainable aviation fuel can also be used to produce diesel from various sources like disposable nappies, household waste and scrap wood.
Run The Trains On A Dual Fuel Basis With Hydrogen
In Grand Central DMU To Be Used For Dual-Fuel Trial, I talk about how Grand Central in collaboration with a company called G-volution are running experiments with dual-fuelling a Class 180 train. G-volution state that they could dual fuel with hydrogen using their technology.
The Class 180 trains have Cummins engines, but I suspect G-volution’s technology or something similar could be applied to the Rolls-Royce MTU engines in the Class 195 trains.
This could be a very promising route.
Convert The Diesel Engines To Run On Hydrogen
Cummins and JCB have developed internal combustion engines, that can run on hydrogen. I would be very surprised if Rolls-Royce MTU are not developing this technology.
Conclusion
There are options to convert the Class 195 trains into low or zero-carbon trains.
.
Hydrogen Freight Locomotive Demonstration Planned
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on Railway Gazette.
The first two paragraphs explain the project.
Progress Rail, BNSF and Chevron have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a fuel cell demonstrator locomotive to assess the viability of using hydrogen as an alternative to diesel for main line freight operations.
Progress Rail plans to design and build a prototype fuel cell locomotive, with Chevron developing the hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. BNSF would then operate the locomotive for a period of time.
It can’t be long before we start to see large-scale hydrogen locomotive projects in the UK and Europe.
The Anonymous Widower 