Norway: Switching trains from diesel to biogas is potentially far cheaper than switching to electricity
Consultancy Ramboll has been commissioned to carry out a feasibility study on the potential for converting diesel powered trains to biogas, particularly in northern Norway.
While most trains in Norway run on electricity, many lines in the country’s colder northern regions still use diesel.
Ramboll project manager, Arne Fredrik Lånke, said Norway’s longest railroad, the 700 km Nordlandsbanen or Nordland Line, was a prime example of where biogas could be installed in a “relatively short time and may lead to a reduction in CO2.”
Trains running on natural gas is an “upcoming trend internationally” especially in North America and Russia, explained Lånke, who added: “The required conversion technology is therefore already available.”
Lånke said the Norwegian biogas market has been growing for many years, that it has been used by buses and is therefore “well suited for heavy transport”.
He also said Ramboll is involved in three separate projects that will double the biogas fuel capacity in Norway during 2018, meaning there will potentially be enough biogas to power the trains.
According to a statement from Ramboll, the study is part of a wider investigation it is carrying out for Norsk Gassforum, a collaboration of 12 regional authorities promoting the use of natural gas, biogas and hydrogen.
Ramboll had previously carried out a similar study in Finland.
Source: Ends Waste & Bioenergy
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