Battery-Electric Power Rides The Rails
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Power Progress.
These two introductory paragraphs, outline the project.
In late October 2023, transportation solution provider Wabtec and its launch customer Roy Hill, an Australia-based iron ore mining company, celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive locomotive – a production model unit that Wabtec described as the “world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service.”
The debut was the culmination of more than a decade of R&D that started at a time when battery technology and density were far more limited. Rogerio Mendonca, president, Freight Equipment, Wabtec, labeled the company’s earliest project as “more of a science pilot than anything else.”
I feel that this conversion of a diesel locomotive to a 7MWh battery-electric locomotive will be a significant milestone in freight haulage.
In the UK, we have 480 Class 66 locomotives.
Not all are used for heavy freight and you regularly see a single locomotive hauling a load that a lowered-powered battery electric locomotive could handle.
I suspect that if Roy Hill find this a capable locomotive, that we’ll see some Class 66 locomotives converted to battery-electric operation.
The article is well worth a full read.
Wabtec And Roy Hill Unveil The First FLXdrive Battery Locomotive
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Wabtec.
This is the sub-heading.
World’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul freight locomotive for mainline service
This is the first three paragraphs.
Wabtec and its launch customer, Roy Hill, a leading iron ore miner majority owned by Australia’s most successful private company, Hancock Prospecting, have celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive, the world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service. The ceremony unveiled the unique, striking pink-colored locomotive at Wabtec’s design and development center in Pennsylvania in front of employees, customer executives, and government and community officials.
“This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future in the rail industry,” said Rafael Santana, President & CEO of Wabtec. “The FLXdrive is driven from within by our battery technology and the innovative spirit of our employees. Roy Hill is an ideal customer to partner with given their leadership and excellent operational record.”
Roy Hill’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive will feature an energy capacity of 7 megawatt hours (MWh). Based on the route and company’s rail operations, the FLXdrive is anticipated to provide a double-digit percentage reduction in fuel costs and emissions per train. Once Wabtec completes the final battery installations and track testing, the locomotive will begin its 17,000-kilometer (10,500-mile) journey in 2024 for delivery to its new home in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, one of the world’s premier mining precincts.
These further two paragraphs outline the operation of the locomotive.
The FLXdrive locomotive represents not only a first for the Pilbara, but a first for the mining industry. The technological smarts that have gone into the development of the loco makes it well suited for our rail network. By using regenerative braking, it will charge its battery on the 344 kilometer (214 mile) downhill run from our mine to port facility and use that stored energy to return to the mine, starting the cycle all over again. This will not only enable us to realise energy efficiencies but also lower operating costs.”
Today, Roy Hill uses four Wabtec ES44ACi “Evolution Series” diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains that are typically 2,700 meters (1.6 miles) in length carrying more than 33,000 tonnes of iron ore. The addition of the FLXdrive will form a hybrid locomotive consist with Wabtec diesel-electric locomotives, and recharge during the trip through regenerative braking. The FLXdrive manages the overall train energy flow and distribution through its state-of-the-art energy management software. It is also designed with a unique battery thermal management system using liquid cooling to withstand the Pilbara heat, where temperatures can reach 55°C (130°F).
I have some thoughts.
Could Class 66 Locomotives Be Converted Into Battery-Electric Locomotives?
I answered this question fully in Could Class 66 Locomotives Be Converted Into Battery-Electric Locomotives? a couple of years ago and came to this conclusion.
I am not a lover of the smelly, noisy and polluting diesel Class 66 locomotives, but it does look it could be possible to convert some into battery-electric locomotives.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wabtec convert some Class 66 locomotives into battery-electric locomotives.
I also believe, that conversion of Class 66 locomotives to battery-electric operation could be the most affordable way to help decarbonise rail freight.
Note.
- Class 68 locomotives could probably also be converted.
- The battery-electric locomotives would either be used singly or in conjunction with diesel-electric locomotives as Roy Hill propose to do.
After the launch of Wabtec’s first production locomotive, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that some of the UK’s freight operators are talking to Wabtec.
Could A Battery-Electric Class 66 locomotive Work With An Electric Locomotive?
This picture shows, what could be an experiment by Freightliner at Shenfield.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to ask the driver, if the Class 66 locomotive was running dead-in-train or helping the Class 90 locomotive with a very heavy load.
The picture shows, that the electric and diesel locomotives can work together, at the front of a train.
Consider.
- The battery-electric locomotive would be used, where there is no electrification.
- The battery-electric locomotive could be charged by the electric locomotive or regenerative braking.
It could be an interesting way to handle some freight routes in the UK.
BHP To Trial Battery Locos On Pilbara Iron Ore Network
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
The article summarised all the battery-electric locomotives ordered to bring the iron ore to the coast by mining companies; BHP, Fortescue, Rio Tinto and Roy Hill.
The article indicates some of the innovative operations that will be tried. This is a sentence from the article.
A key element will be to assess the potential for capturing regenerated braking energy on the loaded downhill runs, and storing it to power empty trains back uphill to the mines.
I would hope that the South Wales Metro, the Buxton branch and the East Kilbride branch will use similar energy conservation techniques.
Iron Ore Miner Orders Heavy-Haul Battery Locomotive
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Mining company Roy Hill has ordered a Wabtec FLXdrive battery-electric heavy-haul freight locomotive. This will replace one the four ES44ACi diesel-electric locos used to haul its 2 700 m long iron ore trains, and is expected to reduce fuel costs and emissions by ‘double digit’ percentages while also cutting maintenance costs.
The locomotive is scheduled to be delivered in 2023. It will have a capacity of 7 MWh, an upgrade from the 2·4 MWh prototype which Wabtec and BNSF tested in revenue service in California earlier this year.
Note.
- It will have a 7 MWh battery.
- 2700 metres is 1.6 miles.
It looks to me, that the three diesel locomotives and one battery locomotive are arranged as a massive hybrid locomotive and I suspect that with sophisticated control systems, those double digit cuts in fuel costs and emissions would be possible.
A couple of years ago, I took this picture near Shenfield.
This double-headed train has a Class 90 electric locomotive and a Class 66 diesel locomotive at the front of a long freight train.
- The Class 90 locomotive has an TDM system for multiple working.
- The Class 66 locomotive has an AAR system for multiple working.
So does this mean that the two locomotives can’t work together, which if it does begs the question of what is happening.
- Had the Class 66 locomotive failed and Class 90 was acting as a Thunderbird?
- Was the Class 66 locomotive being moved from one depot to another for maintenance or repair?
- Was it an experiment to see if the two locomotives could work together?
I sometimes think that I didn’t see this unusual formation, but then the camera doesn’t lie.
But could we learn from what Wabtec are doing for Roy Hill in Australia?
The Class 93 Locomotive
Rail Operations Group have already ordered thirty Class 93 tri-mode locomotives from Stadler, which have following power ratings.
- Electric – 4000 kW
- Diesel – 900 kW
- Hybrid – 1300 kW
If this locomotive is capable of hauling the heaviest intermodal freight trains out of Felixstowe, Southampton and other ports and freight terminals, it could contribute to substantial reductions in the diesel fuel used and emissions.
As an example, I will use a freight train between Felixstowe North Terminal and Trafford Park Euro Terminal.
- It is a route of 280 miles.
- I will ignore that it goes along the North London Line through North London and along the Castlefield Corridor through Manchester Piccadilly station.
- There is fifteen miles without electrification at the Felixstowe end.
- There is under three miles without electrification at the Manchester end.
On this service , it could be as much as 94 % of diesel and emissions are saved, if the Class 93 locomotive can haul a heavy freight train out of Felixstowe. A few miles of strategically-placed electrification at the Ipswich end would help, if required.
It must also be born in mind, that the Class 93 locomotive is a 110 mph locomotive on electric power and could probably do the following.
- Run at 100 mph on the busy Great Eastern Main Line.
- Run at faster speeds on the West Coast Main Line.
- Fit in well with the 100 mph passenger trains, that run on both routes.
So not only does it save diesel and carbon emissions, but it will save time and make the freight train easier to timetable on a route with lots of 100 mph passenger trains.
The Class 93 locomotive looks like it could be a game-changer for long-distance intermodal freight, especially, if there were short sections of strategically-placed electrification, added to the electrified network.
Emissions could also be reduced further by using some for of sustainable fuel.
The picture shows a Class 66 locomotive, which is powered by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil or HVO.
I can see that all diesel-powered trains and locomotives will be powered by sustainable fuels by the end of this decade.
A Wabtec Battery-Electric Locomotive
Wabtec is building a battery-electric locomotive for Roy Hill in Australia.
This article on Railway Age talks about Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery locomotives and describes some features of the locomotive for Roy Hill in Australia.
It mentions pantographs and overhead wires to charge the batteries.
- Wabtec’s prototype battery locomotive has a power output of 3.24 MW and a battery size of 2.4 MWh
- The Roy Hill battery locomotive has a power output of 3.24 MW and a battery size of 7 MWh
I could envisage Wabtec designing a UK-sized battery-electric locomotive with these characteristics.
- 2.5 MW power output, which is similar to a Class 66 locomotive.
- A battery size of perhaps 1.8 MWh based on Wabtec’s FLXdrive technology.
- A pantograph to charge the batteries and also power the locomotive where electrification exists.
- 75 mph operating speed.
- Ability to work in tandem with a Class 66 locomotive.
All technology is under Wabtec’s control.
This locomotive could have a range of at least fifty miles on battery power.
I think this locomotive could handle these routes.
- Peterborough and Doncaster via the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line via Lincoln, with some form of charging at halfway.
- Felixstowe and Nuneaton, with some extra electrification at some point between Peterborough and Leicester.
- Oxford and Birmingham, with possibly some extra electrification in the middle.
One option for charging electrification, would surely be to electrify passing loops.
I think a battery-electric locomtive based on Wabtec’s FLXdrive technology could be a very useful locomotive.
Could Wabtec’s Battery-Electric Locomotive Pair-Up With A Class 66 Locomotive?
Roy Hill will use their locomotive to form a consist of three diesel locomotives and one battery locomotive to obtain double-digit savings of fuel and emissions, when hauling iron-ore trains that are 1.6 miles long on a route of 214 miles.
We don’t have massive iron-ore trains like this, but we do move huge quantities of segregates and stone around the country in trains generally hauled by Class 66 locomotives.
So could a Class 66 or another suitable locomotive be paired-up with a battery-electric locomotive to make savings of fuel and emissions?
I would suggest that if it works in Australia, the technology will probably work in the UK.
The biggest problem for Wabtec is that the heavy end of the market may well be a good one for hydrogen-powered locomotives. But Wabtec are going down that route too!
Conclusion
I am convinced that the two decarbonisation routes I have outlined here are viable for the UK.
But I also feel that locomotive manufacturers will produce hydrogen-powered locomotives.
Other companies like Alstom, Siemens and Talgo will also offer innovative solutions.
The Anonymous Widower 