Czech Railways trials eco-fuel on diesel trains

The state carrier Czech Railways is testing HVO eco-fuel — hydrogenated vegetable oil capable of replacing regular diesel — on its diesel trains. The trials are taking place on the Rakovník–Beroun and Beroun–Rudná u Prahy–Prague lines.

According to Jiří Ješeta, the company's deputy CEO for passenger transport, Czech Railways' strategic goal is to expand electric traction and cut local emissions from internal combustion engines. However, most Czech rail tracks remain unelectrified, meaning diesel-powered trains will continue running on them for decades to come. That's why, the carrier says, eco-fuel made from recycled vegetable oil could offer a real way to reduce environmental harm right now.

How the trials were conducted

The testing project has been divided into several stages. First, specialists selected suitable fuel blends, had them certified, and studied the legal aspects of using sustainable fuel with a higher share of biocomponents. In the second stage, blends with varying proportions of the bio-additive were tested on PESA Class 847 railcars at the VUZ test centre in Velim. There, engineers compared power output, fuel consumption and emission levels between pure diesel, blends containing 15% and 30% biocomponent, and fuel running on 100% biofuel.

Last year, a diesel blend containing 20% HVO biocomponent was already tested under real operating conditions — on three Class 847 RegioFox trains running the Rakovník–Beroun and Beroun–Rudná u Prahy–Prague routes.

Next step: 100% biofuel

The project has now moved to a fourth stage, one that wasn't originally planned: testing fuel with a 100% biocomponent share on the same trains and the same routes as a year ago.

Hydrogenated vegetable oil belongs to a category of biocomponents that, once processed at refineries, closely resemble the diesel fraction of petroleum in composition. According to Czech Railways, using HVO produced from vegetable oil specifically intended for fuel production can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60–65%. And if recycled used vegetable oils and fats are used as waste feedstock instead, emission savings can reach 90–95% compared to petroleum-based fuel.

Read also: Free Czech language courses for foreigners: where to study

Source: ekolist.cz