An eco-friendly locomotive engine, which operates exclusively on biodiesel or vegetable oil with no diesel added and has the same power and capacities as a diesel engine has been developed by the Romanian companies Reloc – Electroputere VFU Craiova. This innovative technical solution was developed by the engineers within Reloc – Electroputere VFU Craiova for the Diesel locomotive 2100 HP, one of the most widespread Diesel locomotives in Romania, used both for passenger and rail freight transport. In Craiova, over the time, more than 2,000 such 2100 HP locomotives have been produced.
The research project is unique in Romania and enables the diesel engine to run based exclusively on biodiesel (B100) or pure vegetable oil without other elements in the mix. Although the locomotive engine no longer uses diesel fuel, this has not led to poor performance. Moreover, it allows the locomotive the same operation parameters but with extremely low emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions and no sulfur emissions.
The project on the completely ecological locomotive engine has been developed by the engineers within the Centre of Excellence for Design – Research and Development from Reloc – VFU Electroputere Craiova and by the employees of Grampet Group with valuable experience and highly qualified. The specialists working within the Centre of Excellence in Craiova focus on research and implement innovative solutions in order to optimize the fuel consumption, to increase reliability and the efficiency of the operating rolling stock.
The locomotive has already passed through a series of tests and adjustments. Tests were also deployed on the railways to see how the engine operates and the results show confidence for Grampet Group. The company says tests will continue in the next period in order to further assess the performance of the engine in difficult weather conditions, so that, upon completion of all tests and inspections, the technical solution will be implemented.
Reloc – VFU Electroputere Craiova, specialized in the production, modernization and overhaul of locomotives, it is one of the latest acquisitions of Grampet Group portfolio. In just three years since the purchase, the number of the employees grew from 30 to about 600 people.
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