Self-propelled railcars, partnerships key to sustainable transportation

US railcar and technology manufacturer Intramotev has successfully deployed the world’s first self-propelled battery-electric railcar in a traditional freight train, and this is viewed as a major step forward towards promoting sustainable freight transportation.

The manufacturer has also announced a partnership with global mining company, Carmeuse Americas, to deploy its TugVolt technology at a mining site in Cedarville, Michigan in the US.

Regarding the former, Intramotev has deployed its railcar retrofit, known as the ReVolt, at energy company Iron Senergy’s Cumberland mine in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania in the US. The railcar has run for over 1 600 km between the Cumberland mine and its Alicia Harbor facility in Alicia, Pennsylvania.

“We’re excited to deliver the fuel savings and environmental benefits of the ReVolt to our customer Iron Senergy,” said Intramotev CEO Tim Luchini. “[The] news marks an important milestone in our work to decarbonise mining and freight transportation, and we’re just getting started.”

Iron Senergy owner and CEO Justin Thompson said, “we’re thrilled to have partnered with Intramotev to deploy their forward-thinking technology. We’re always searching for ways to double down on our commitment to innovation and sustainability, and this partnership helps accomplish that in a big way”

Intramotev highlights that it continues to build momentum with customer deployments in the mining sector. Later this year, the company will deploy its locomotive replacement, known as the TugVolt, at a calcium mine in Northern Michigan, in the US.

The manufacturer has also announced a partnership with global mining company, Carmeuse Americas, to deploy its TugVolt technology at a mining site in Cedarville.

Reflecting on the partnership, Luchini said, “we couldn’t have asked for a better partner to deploy our technology in Michigan than Carmeuse. For over 160 years, Carmeuse has been on the frontlines of innovation, and we’re thrilled to partner with them to cut emissions, save fuel costs, and keep their workers safe”.

With support from the Michigan Mobility Funding Program, Intramotev will deploy three TugVolt battery electric railcars at the Carmeuse Americas mining site in Cedarville to support a new railway that will carry one six-car train of ore each hour. The company adds that it will be the first real-world operational deployment of a battery-electric freight railcar capable of operating without a locomotive pulling it, and it will also be one of the largest scale implementations of industrial robots.

The deployment is estimated to eliminate up to 208 000 ℓ of diesel consumption and 617 t of vehicle-level carbon dioxide emissions.

“We’re excited to partner with Intramotev to deploy their TugVolt technology,” Carmeuse operations senior VP Jeff Bitner stated. “This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to increase our efficiency, decrease our carbon footprint, and keep our workers safe and focused on what they do best through adoption of emerging digital technologies. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”