Although the railway system is considered one of the least polluting, there is still great room for improvement to achieve the goals set out by the Paris Agreement to curb global warming.
It is estimated that a train journey from London to Madrid emits approximately 43kg of carbon (CO2) per passenger, and some diesel locomotives emit more than 90g of CO2 per user per mile.
According to data published by Statista, only 54% of the European rail network is electrified, which is why in 2021 the European Union promoted the initiative “The European Year of the Railway”, to promote the support of climate goals in the old continent.
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Given this scenario, one of the companies focusing its efforts on the transition to clean energies is Fortescue Metals Group, an Australian iron ore producer.
The company completed the acquisition of Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), in a move expected to create hundreds of new jobs and provide millions of dollars in decarbonization initiatives in the coming years.
The flagship project of the merger between the two organizations is the announcement of the world’s First Zero Emissions “Infinity Train.” The regenerative battery electric iron ore transport medium will use gravitational energy to recharge its battery electric systems without any additional charging requirements for the return trip.
The technology, to be jointly developed by Fortescue and WAE, will address emissions reductions in the hard-to-reduce heavy industry sector, with significant opportunities for this innovation to be commercialized on a global scale.
Multiple Benefits
Fortescue Founder and President Dr. Andrew Forrest explained that the Infinity Train will not only accelerate the company’s race to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, but will also reduce operating costs, create maintenance efficiencies and productivity opportunities.
“The Infinity Train will join Fortescue’s green strategy and help us become a major player in the growing global market for environmentally friendly industrial transportation equipment, providing great value for our shareholders,” he added.
Forrest further noted that Infinity continues the march to change the world’s attitude towards power generation globally, to understand that fossil fuel is only one source of energy and that there are others that are rapidly emerging that are more efficient, lower cost and environmentally friendly.
For his part, WAE CEO, Craig Wilson emphasized that electrification and high performance battery systems are at the core of what they do and now, together with Fortescue, they will have a great opportunity to develop new technologies that contribute to mitigating climate change.
Written by I Jhonattan González
