AS much as greenies and eco-loving bureaucrats hate it, there is no easily produced substance that packs the same power per molecule as diesel fuel, reports New York's FreightWaves.
'We love diesel; we like to take showers in diesel,' joked Michael Nicoletti, a partner at Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT), at 'Toward Zero Emissions in Rail: Lessons Learned,' a panel discussion held at the Transportation Research Board's 124th annual meeting here.
Said Marcin Taraskiewicz, HDR rail and transit vehicle technologist: 'There are virtually no current standards that exist that are directly applicable to zero-emissions (ZE) equipment on rail.
While standards do exist for other applications of ZE energy sources for other industries, he said those standards aren't always fully, or even partly, applicable for rail use.
'Operators are pursuing alternative fuels near zero emissions for long-range/heavy-haul fleets,' said Mr Taraskiewicz, 'but they don't have the needed energy-to-weight power ratios. Cleaner diesel fuels are being looked at. Diesel is a high-energy fuel.'
Mr Taraskiewicz said hydrogen and compressed natural gas are being worked on, but with no standards, development is slow.
SeaNews Turkey
'We love diesel; we like to take showers in diesel,' joked Michael Nicoletti, a partner at Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT), at 'Toward Zero Emissions in Rail: Lessons Learned,' a panel discussion held at the Transportation Research Board's 124th annual meeting here.
Said Marcin Taraskiewicz, HDR rail and transit vehicle technologist: 'There are virtually no current standards that exist that are directly applicable to zero-emissions (ZE) equipment on rail.
While standards do exist for other applications of ZE energy sources for other industries, he said those standards aren't always fully, or even partly, applicable for rail use.
'Operators are pursuing alternative fuels near zero emissions for long-range/heavy-haul fleets,' said Mr Taraskiewicz, 'but they don't have the needed energy-to-weight power ratios. Cleaner diesel fuels are being looked at. Diesel is a high-energy fuel.'
Mr Taraskiewicz said hydrogen and compressed natural gas are being worked on, but with no standards, development is slow.
SeaNews Turkey
