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Oct 30, 2020 at 7:29 AMThe freight division of RheinCargo stands for environmentally friendly transport and excellent energy efficiency. Compared to trucks, freight trains produce five times less CO2 per ton-kilometer and require only 20 percent of the energy (Source: Allianz pro Schiene / Study: Umweltbundesamt). The logistics service provider RheinCargo is now taking a further step: From 2021, all electric locomotives of RheinCargo will only operate on green electricity. This is another argument for shifting more goods from road to rail.
(Cologne / Neuss) – “As a company, we have the responsibility to organize logistics and transport as environmentally friendly as possible. Therefore, we have decided to enter into a contract with our electricity provider for the use of green electricity. Accordingly, all the energy consumed by our electric locomotives will be sourced from renewable energy sources,” says Wolfgang Birlin, Managing Director of RheinCargo for rail logistics. “The railway is as climate-friendly as no other mode of transport. By using green electricity, we significantly relieve the environment and contribute to active climate protection, which our customers explicitly desire,” explains Birlin.
enviaM supplies the required green electricity
The green electricity is supplied by the company “enviaM”. To guarantee quality, it is sourced under the strict criteria catalog of the “Renewable Plus” program. This not only certifies that the origin is 100 percent from renewable energies but also ensures that the emissions generated during the construction of the power plants are made climate-neutral through emission reduction certificates. These certificates come from climate protection projects that are subject to the strict requirements of the TÜV Rheinland certified label “ÖkoPlus”. Thus, the green electricity is considered climate-neutral. Furthermore, it is guaranteed that the partners of “Renewable Plus” invest in the expansion of renewable energies. This ensures that constant ecological improvements and a sustainable, climate-neutral expansion of renewable energies take place.
Transport volume of 22 million tons in 2019
Image: © The first locomotive has now been delivered and branded, the other three locomotives will follow in mid-November and mid-December. – RheinCargo GmbH & Co. KG
The RheinCargo rail division handled a transport volume of around 22 million tons in 2019. With more than 100 trains per day, approximately 3.5 billion net ton-kilometers were covered. The RC electric locomotives have an annual electricity consumption of around 70 million kilowatt-hours. This corresponds to about 20,000 four-person households. At the same time, the modern locomotives also generate around 7.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity during braking. This electricity is fed back and then available to other consumers.
Four new locomotives from Siemens
To draw attention to the positive ecological balance of RheinCargo, a total of four new Siemens Smartron locomotives, which will be delivered to RheinCargo in the coming weeks, will receive a special branding. With the slogan “On the way with green electricity,” embedded in an aesthetically pleasing design, the use of clean energy is highlighted.
Increased reliability through new locomotives
The new locomotives have a power output of 5,600 kW. They will be deployed nationwide in the long-distance network of RheinCargo. The first deployment focus will be in the Ingolstadt / Munich area, where most of the train drivers are also trained. With the new locomotives, the reliability and efficiency of RheinCargo’s offerings will be further enhanced. They consume not only less energy than older locomotives but can also feed back significantly more energy during braking. The locomotives are based on the highly successful Siemens Vectron platform, with over 1,000 locomotives built in Europe. These have proven themselves in various applications over several years and are considered reliable and robust. The locomotives are built at the Siemens plant in Munich-Allach. The first locomotive has now been delivered and branded, with the other three locomotives to follow in mid-November and mid-December.
About RheinCargo
The logistics service provider RheinCargo GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 2012 as a joint venture of the Ports and Freight Transport Cologne (HGK) and the Neuss Düsseldorf Ports (NDH). The company operates seven public Rhine ports in Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Neuss. With 90 own locomotives and 700 wagons, RheinCargo maintains one of the largest private freight railways in Germany. RheinCargo employs approximately 640 people.
Image: © RheinCargo GmbH & Co. KG
