CN testing hybrid biofuel-ready locomotive

Canadian railway CN announced the launch of its medium-horsepower hybrid-electric locomotive developed in collaboration with Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW) of Tennessee. 

The Montreal-based company said the biofuel-ready locomotive will undergo testing across its network as a pilot project, to evaluate its potential to enhance operational efficiency and fuel savings.

Biofuel is a renewable energy source produced from organic plant or animal material. 

The 3,200-horsepower unit is built on the traditional CN low-horsepower locomotive operating in yards and branch lines. Powered by a 2.4-megawatt-hour, 700-horsepower battery-diesel engine that is 100% biofuel-ready, the hybrid system targets as much as a 50% reduction in fuel consumption compared to a typical diesel locomotive used in similar operations today.

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