Gazprom to Fuel LNG Locomotives
Gazprom signed an agreement with Russian Railways and two other firms in Sochi, February 15, to set up small LNG production units to refuel new gas-powered locomotives being deployed on the Sverdlovsk Railway.
Russian Railways is planning to increase its fleet of locomotives and shunters powered by LNG from 3 to 22 units by 2023. New locomotives will operate on the Sverdlovsk Railway.
To that end, Gazprom intends to build two small-scale LNG production facilities at its gas distribution stations in Tobolsk and Surgut, as well as platforms for mobile refuellers at the Voynovka and Surgut stations.
It said Sinara Group and Transmashholding will take measures to improve the designs of gas-powered locomotives, and that a new series of gas-powered vehicles will be developed. The two have been involved in building existing units.
The latest agreement stems from an agreement signed June 2016 to co-operate in natural gas vehicle (NGV) development between Gazprom, Russian Railways, Sinara Group, and Transmashholding, including fostering Russian manufacturing of these.
Russian Railways accounts for 45% of the aggregate cargo turnover and just over a quarter of passenger turnover in Russia and is state-owned and its development of designs of LNG gas-powered locomotives dates back to 2005, said Gazprom. In 2009, the gas turbine locomotive was used in transporting a 15,200-metric ton freight train, setting a world record for a self-powered locomotive with one propulsion unit.
Russian companies manufactured two mainline gas turbine locomotives and one gas turbine shunter, all of them powered by LNG and in regular service at the Egorshino-Serov-Sortirovochny section of the Sverdlovsk Railway, said Gazprom.
The agreement was signed (left to right) by Sergey Papin (president of Sinara-Transport Machines), Alexander Yermonsky (deputy CEO for technical development, Transmashholding), Vitaly Markelov (deputy chairman, Gazprom management board), and Sergey Kobzev (chief engineer and deputy CEO Russian Railways). (Photo credit: Gazprom)