DB Cargo UK compared the performance and emissions of a Class 60 diesel locomotive running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and conventional diesel fuel. This is reported by the Railway Supply magazine, referring to the Railway Gazette.

HVO

A purpose-built exhaust extension tube was fitted to the locomotive to calm the exhaust gases. Nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons and particle emissions were then measured in a standardised cycle at three load points when using diesel. The fuel was then completely drained, and the locomotive refuelled with HVO and the measurements repeated to obtain a direct comparison.

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“If this round of testing shows that HVO fuel cuts emissions in a Class 60 locomotive with a 34-year-old engine in a similar way to more modern locomotives, this would prove that HVO is a viable and effective alternative”, said Jörg Schneider, Head of Climate Protection & Energy at DB Cargo AG. “Adopting HVO fuel in all diesel locomotives would then have a significant impact on the rail industry’s carbon footprint and overall air quality in the UK.”

Katherine Oldale, Head of Sustainability at DB Cargo UK, said HVO “is the only viable solution to decarbonize rail freight today and requires significantly less investment than mass electrification in the short term but in the long term we need to see an electrification program of key routes in our network.”

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