Railways plans LNG as future fuel for its locomotives

As part of its agenda to adopt cost effective, cleaner energy sources, the Indian Railways has started work on using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel for its fleet of diesel locomotives. The Research Design & Standard Organisation (RDSO), a researcg wing under the ministry of railways based, is developing locomotive prototype which will run on LNG. The Railways plans to build around 20 LNG-based locomotives once the prototype proves to be successful.

The Railways expects to halve the operating cost of locomotives even at the current enhanced LNG prices. This will also lead to significant reductions in other regulated and unregulated emissions like NOx among others. According to the Railways, a complete switch to natural gas as fuel for its diesel locomotives would amount to only 2.2% of India’s annual 81 million tonnes natural gas consumption making it commercially feasible.

“To make use of global reserves of natural gas, India is setting up infrastructure for import of LNG into the country. Even LNG terminals are in various stages of setting-up on the east and west coasts of India, all with railway connectivity,” said a railways ministry statement on the matter.

At present, Railways runs its locomotives mainly on diesel and electricity which have become increasingly expensive due to increasing prices of crude oil and imported coal, devaluation of the Rupee and so on.