Vale and Wabtec signed an agreement to test ethanol use in locomotives with initial step to study a dual-fuel engine capable of running on both diesel and a diesel-ethanol blend on the Vitória-Minas Railway.
The studies will initially be conducted in laboratories to validate the concept and evaluate performance, emissions reduction, and ethanol/diesel substitution rate. The tests for ethanol use in locomotives are expected to run through 2027 to assess future application in the Vitória-Minas Railway fleet.
The agreement to use ethanol, a renewable fuel that replaces fossil diesel consumption, is part of a series of joint initiatives with Wabtec to advance Vale’s rail decarbonisation programme. The two companies signed an agreement to purchase 50 locomotives equipped with Evolution Series engines capable of operating with up to a 25-percent biodiesel blend. In the coming years, Vale and Wabtec will conduct a series of tests aiming to further increase this percentage.
“For the first time, Wabtec will use ethanol as an energy source in a locomotive, a milestone in the global rail industry. We are committed to developing technological solutions that accelerate the transition to more efficient and sustainable transportation,” said Danilo Miyasato, President and Regional Leader of Wabtec LATAM.
In 2020, Vale announced its goal to reduce direct and indirect emissions by 33% by 2030. This is another step toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement’s ambition to limit global warming to below 2°C by the end of the century. The company also committed to reducing net emissions from its value chain (Scope 3) by 15% by 2035.
Vitória-Minas Railway is a major freight and passenger railway in Brazil with both economic and logistical importance. The 905 km corridor connects the city of Vitória, on the Atlantic coast, to Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais.
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