The Spanish national carrier plans to begin a three-month trial of locomotives using biofuel from July, according to the railway journal Railway Supply, citing Rollingstock.

using biofuel in locomotive fleet

The trains will be deployed on a section of over 200 km between Algeciras and Cordoba for container transportation.

During the testing phase, it is expected that the locomotives will cover nearly 40,000 km, and their operation will help avoid the emission of over 600 tons of CO2.

Spanish company Cepsa will be the biofuel supplier, providing Renfe with 160 tons of biofuel produced from used vegetable oils for the project.

It is noted that no locomotive modifications are required for its use.

In a recent study conducted by the Association of European Rail Leasing Companies (AERRL), biofuel was referred to as an interim solution for replacing diesel due to its high cost.

Photo: Javier López/flickr

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