AUSTRALIA: Freight operator Aurizon has been awarded a A$9·4m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to develop, test and trial a battery electric tender to be used in conjunction with a modified diesel locomotive.
The tender, described as ‘essentially a big battery-pack on wheels’, will be paired with the modified locomotive to operate as a hybrid using both diesel and battery power. The battery will also store energy regenerated as the train travels down hill and brakes.
The tender and modified locomotive will be produced in Australia by Aurizon and technology partner Alta Battery Technology. The project will utilise Alta’s DC-to-DC converter which connects diesel assets to electric power sources. ‘The use of this technology will alleviate the need to replace existing assets with completely electric assets, saving businesses money, and expediting their path to carbon-neutral/net zero’, said Alta’s Managing Director Roy Zou on March 8.
The ARENA grant represents half of the required funding for the Battery Powered Tender for Heavy Haul Fleet Decarbonisation project, with the balance to be funded by Aurizon.
Three-pronged strategy
The battery-electric tender is the second initiative in Aurizon’s three-pronged strategy to produce zero-emissions capable freight locomotives.
In May 2023 it started work on a prototype battery-electric locomotive which could be used on routes up to 400 km. Trials are to commence in late 2025. The battery-electric tender could extend the range of the battery-electric locomotive to 850 km. Trials are expected to commence in early 2026.
In 2021 Aurizon and Anglo American agreed to work together to assess the feasibility of hydrogen-powered trains for bulk freight. They concluded that a hydrogen-electric tender was the preferred configuration, given the lack of space on a locomotive to store the required amount of hydrogen fuel. Aurizon is working with First Mode to explore this concept which when coupled to a battery-electric locomotive, could cater for freight hauls greater than 850 km.
‘Aurizon aims to use battery and hydrogen power sources, or a combination of both, to deliver decarbonised freight solutions for customers across our national footprint, no matter how heavy or how far the freight needs to move’, said Managing Director & CEO Andrew Harding.
‘We know that Aurizon will need different solutions for different hauls and customers.’
