Latvia presents its green locomotive project
To reduce its impact on the environment, Latvia started the implementation of the dual-drive locomotive project two years ago. The diesel and gas driven shunting locomotive ČME3 has been undergoing trials since late summer last year.
Representatives of the French natural gas company GRDF and the city of Lille (France) recently visited Latvia to gain information about the project, which is a joint venture of the Latvian LDZ group and the company DiGAS. According to initial testing results, the use of the dual-drive locomotive manufactured in Latvia will result in annual cost savings of EUR 31,800 per locomotive.
France is planning to ban diesel-driven vehicles by 2025. Therefore, alternative solutions like the use of natural gas are already being sought. (ben)