Railway Technology China Exports Hybrid-Powered Locomotives

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Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

From the outside, the green locomotive looks rather unspectacular, which was presented to the press on the premises of the Chinese locomotive manufacturer CRRC in Sichuan province. However, the interior of the "CKD6H" locomotive is interesting and attracted a number of TV crews and photographers on May 20.

The new locomotive is a "green" hybrid model in both senses, combining a low-emission diesel engine with a lithium-iron phosphate battery. The press conference was called because, for the first time, a locomotive with this drive technology is being delivered abroad as a new series model—to Kazakhstan.

CKD6H is one of several newly developed series with which China's railway industry is trying to move towards an environmentally friendly future. It was developed by CRRC Ziyang in collaboration with Kazakhstan's state railway.

Replace Diesel Locomotives

In Central Asia, winters are bitterly cold. The locomotive is therefore designed for temperatures as low as minus fifty degrees Celsius. It is also suited for heavy loads and rather poor infrastructure. In Kazakhstan, it is intended to be used in freight transport everywhere where only diesel locomotives have been used so far.

The CKD6H hybrid locomotive is to be certified in Kazakhstan according to the EAC standard. This is the "Eurasian Conformity" standard that applies in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus.

If all goes well in a few weeks, it would be the first time that Chinese standards are recognized abroad. This would also be a breakthrough for the Chinese railway industry and its new export business. The fuel-efficient diesel engine in the hybrid locomotive is also compliant with the EU IIA standard, as was mentioned at the press conference.

Hybrid Locomotives are Considered Bearers of Hope

China places great expectations on new hybrid locomotives like these. With their help, the Chinese state railway is to become a central vehicle in achieving national climate goals. The phased farewell to diesel propulsion in rail freight transport has long been politically decided in China and is now being implemented step by step. The strategy is twofold. The efficient, lower-emission freight trains are intended to operate both within China and be exported abroad.

The government in Beijing speaks of a "Chinese solution for the green transformation of the transport sector." It is now being vigorously promoted for the countries along the "new Silk Road" in Central Asia. Alongside Kazakhstan, these include Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

Less Fuel Consumption

While CRRC Ziyang can now celebrate its first export success with the Kazakh order, more and more similar hybrid locomotives are being put into operation in China itself. The manufacturer claims that the hybrid engine of the "CKD6H" can reduce fuel consumption in operation by more than 45 percent. The emissions that are still produced should be much cleaner than before. Compared to conventional diesel locomotives, nitrogen oxide emissions are expected to decrease by about 45 percent, hydrocarbon emissions by around 73 percent, and carbon monoxide emissions even by about 83 percent, CRRC claims.

Shunting Locomotive Completely Electric

Also, in the spring of this year, CRRC in Dalian introduced a battery-electric shunting locomotive with a 1000-kW battery, designed specifically for industrial plants and mining companies. When using this electric locomotive, no emissions are produced at all, said Sun Rongkun, chairman of CRRC Dalian, in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency.

The locomotive is equipped with a powerful liquid cooling system for its LFP battery, which can be fully recharged with up to 680 kW charging power within 70 minutes. A first unit has been delivered, among others, to the steel company Ansteel, where it has been tested on the factory premises since April. There, fuel consumption has reportedly been reduced by more than 30 percent since then.

Fuel Cell Locomotive in use too

In addition to purely electric and hybrid drives, China is also focusing on fuel cells for its "green" locomotives. In the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou, the country's first hydrogen-powered locomotive began commercial operation in May. It was developed by a consortium led by Meijin Energy, a company specializing in coke oven gas utilization. The hydrogen locomotive is now used for freight transport in mining in the "coal and steel city" of Liupanshui in Guizhou. The concept involves capturing hydrogen, which is a byproduct of coal production there, purifying it, and then using it to power the locomotives and heavy-duty vehicles. Over a hundred trucks and several bus lines are already being operated with fuel cells there. The locomotive itself can travel up to 800 kilometers (approx. 497 miles) on a single tank, haul over four thousand tons, and is fully refueled in fifteen minutes.

The fuel cell provides power for the main drive of the locomotive, with excess energy also stored in a lithium battery. This hybrid system is claimed by its developer to be able to operate efficiently at high altitudes. While diesel engines lose power on the plateau due to insufficient oxygen from the thin air, fuel cells continue to function stably, Xinhua quoted a project manager at Meijin Energy.

In this specific application, cost-effectiveness is guaranteed.

Hydrogen, which elsewhere still has to be produced from natural gas or with renewable energies and is relatively expensive, is generated as a byproduct in Liupanshui. Therefore, the conversion costs there are only a third of the usual market price. In the long term, however, it is expected that scaling up hydrogen technology across China will lower the prices for the use of fuel cells.

For plant traffic in such factories, decentralized refueling infrastructure is also useful, according to Chinese trade media. The government of Guizhou province is already planning to expand the model to other industrial plants.

In the long term, there is hope to convert a large part of the province's heavy-duty logistics to hydrogen-powered vehicles, thus contributing to achieving China's climate goals.

Conclusion: As suggested by the export of the CKD6H to Kazakhstan, China's sustainable freight locomotives could develop into another export hit for the Chinese manufacturing industry in the future, similar to solar parks in the United Arab Emirates or hydrogen plants in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. (se)

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