KAZAKHSTAN: A framework agreement for the use of liquefied natural gas instead of diesel to fuel locomotives has been signed by national railway KTZ, loco manufacturer Wabtec and Canada-based central Asian energy company Condor Energies.
In 2022 KTZ and Wabtec signed a memorandum of understanding for new-build and retrofitted LNG fuelled locomotives. Wabtec is to provide NextFuel kits to convert main line diesel locomotives to LNG which is expected to increase their range from 1 300 km to 3 000 km and cut fuel costs by up to 26%.
The latest agreement announced on July 17 adds Condor as LNG supplier and distributor, and aims to ensure that LNG production volumes align with the delivery of new and converted locos.
Condor said using LNG instead of diesel is expected to increase operating range, reduce transit times and emissions and lower fuel and maintenance costs.
Condor will now begin detailed engineering work for the construction of an LNG plant near Aktobe. This will use technology developed by the US Department of Energy and commercialised by Condor’s LNG partner in the USA. A stable feed gas supply has already been secured, and the first phase is scheduled to commence LNG production in mid-2026 with an eventual capacity of 120 000 tonnes of LNG annually.
‘The close co-operation outlined in the framework agreement will ensure the three parties effectively co-ordinate the timely production and delivery of LNG, which will more effectively fuel Kazakhstan’s energy transition requirements and growth plans’, said Condor President & CEO Don Streu. ‘The Transcaspian International Transport Route, with its ever-increasing importance as the shortest and faster route to transport freight between Asia and Europe, is expected to further enhance LNG demand.’
