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Global Disruption

World Economy.

Fossil fuels have, and continue to, play a dominant role in global energy systems. More than 60% of global oil consumption is currently used to supply the transportation sector. In the railway sector, 70% of the worlds locomotives run on diesel fuel due to high costs or impracticality of electrification and other alternatives. Leaving railway operators vulnerable to oil price volatility and thus unable to precisely predict future operating costs.

Ecology & Climate.

The transport sector is the fastest growing contributor to climate emissions as growth in energy use is higher for the transport sector than any other end-use sector. Transport accounted for 23% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010. A number projected to double by 2050.

Life quality.

Diesel exhaust contains significant levels of small particles, known as fine particulate matter (PM) and are the largest source of particulate emissions in transport. PM includes a group of harmful gases called Nitrogen oxide (NOx), and depending on the Sulphur content of the diesel, can also include harmful Sulphur oxides (SOx). The railway sector alone consumes 34 billion liters of diesel fuel per year providing a significant contribution to around 500 000 deaths a year from PM, NOx and SOx emissions.

Energy security.

The global oil market is highly unpredictable due to such factors as political instability in OPEC countries, as they account for 40% of the worldwide oil supply. Even oil production in a politically stable country, such as the United States of America, can be affected by natural disasters. Hurricane “Katrina” alone affected 19% of U.S. oil production increasing the price for a barrel of oil globally, as a result. 

It is very clear that this eco-system is highly unsustainable. Alternative fuels, such as locally produced renewable Natural Gas, need to be considered to reduce the impact of oil price instability and mitigate the negative environmental effects of fossil fuel consumption.