DIGAS has officially started the modernization of the first LNG freight locomotive in the Baltics
Our partner and potential future customer, Operail, has given DIGAS an opportunity to install it’s proprietary and patented NYSMART dual-fuel system on its American General Electric C36 locomotive within a European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 784620.
Operail is an international railway logistics company, which revived the locomotive manufacturing industry in Estonia a few years ago after almost eight decades of hiatus, has introduced the next chapter in the Estonian and Baltic railway sector by partnering up with DIGAS and with the help of DIGAS NYSMART dual fuel system onboard is in the process of introducing the first LNG freight locomotive in Baltics. The motivation for the railway operator company is to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the transport sector by taking goods from road to rail and at the same time using alternative energy sources to transport goods.
This will support a pan-European trend towards a greener future this year, which will be a significant year for the entire railway sector. The European Commission designated 2021 as the European Year of Rail to promote the use of trains as a sustainable, smart, and safe means of transport. Rail transport will play a very important role in EU’s efforts to become climate-neutral by 2050, as it is one of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient modes of transport already.
Modernization work on the first LNG dual-fuel freight locomotive in the Baltics started this week after the supply difficulties caused by the coronavirus crisis were mostly overcome. According to the new schedule, the construction of the first LNG freight locomotive should be completed by June this year. The locomotive will then go through a certification process and be ready for regular service after the necessary approvals.
The LNG freight locomotive is built on the basis of the American General Electric C36 locomotive, which is currently in service and equipping it with NYSMART LNG dual-fuel system. There is no doubt that safety is a very important aspect of this project. This is why the NYSMART system is equipped with both electrical, mechanical, and manual valves that activate in the event of leaks and temperature changes. The LNG tank also immediately releases all the gas through a separate exhaust pipe should the system record any significant deviation from normal conditions.
During the modernization process, the locomotive will be equipped with the necessary LNG tank systems. The existing fuel tank, which can hold almost 18,000 liters of diesel will be divided into three sections for storing LNG: diesel tanks at the edges and LNG tanks in the middle. This means that the dual-fuel locomotive can run both on diesel and LNG fuel in parallel and is able to run on diesel if LNG runs out. The dual-fuel locomotive will also have an information system, which will allow us to obtain and analyze all the information concerning energy consumption to further increase fuel efficiency and cost savings.
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 784620. Operail’s goal is to analyze the results after the test period and decide on how many locomotives of the same type to rebuild. In total, Operail has 30 C36 locomotives in service.
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