AUSTRALIA: Mackay Sugar has awarded British company Clayton Equipment a contract to supply five diesel-battery hybrid locomotives and radio-controlled brake vans for use on its vast 610 mm gauge rail network in Queensland.
Mackay Sugar’s fleet of 34 locomotives and 6 600 wagons — known as bins — transport 6 million tonnes of cane per year from 280 sidings on the 832 km network.
Clayton Equipment said its CBD40 hybrid locos would offer the capabilities of a loco twice the size but in a carbon-efficient way, with reduced maintenance and operational costs. The battery can be charged using the engine or from a mains supply, and regenerative braking will reduce component wear. The customer can choose their preferred engine, and the locos will have two 400 kW water-cooled AC permanent magnet traction motors.
The trains run with brake vans at the rear which are controlled by radio from the loco to provide extra braking capacity. The latest version will have communications with a range of more than 1·7 km.
‘We are very pleased with this new order to supply Mackay Sugar with sustainable, low emission, environmentally compliant equipment which meets their commitment to invest in technology and provides cost savings with long term durability’, said Chairman of Clayton Equipment Steve Gretton on February 20. ‘Collaboration with Mackay Sugar allowed us to gain the understanding of what they required to achieve the right solution and ensure the best return on investment.’
