A train powered by low-carbon fuel made from used vegetable oil will soon transport hundreds of Toyota Hybrid cars weekly to France and the Czech Republic from the company’s Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, UK. The greener locomotive has been named “I’m A Climate Hero.” The Department for Transport says it can cut carbon emissions by as much as 90% compared to its diesel-powered counterpart.
The project is a collaboration between rail freight operator DB Cargo UK and The Department of Transport. “I’m A Climate Hero” will use sustainable hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel for the sole purpose of cutting carbon emissions. DB Cargo UK has been trialing the use of HVO to help the country meet its climate targets.
Andrea Rossi, DB Cargo’s CEO, said:
We are very excited at the prospect of working with Toyota to trial the use of HVO on its services to and from Europe. HVO is one of the world’s purest and greenest fuels and has an important role in helping DB Cargo UK and its rail customers decarbonize their operations. This will be the first time we have used HVO on automotive service and one bound for the continent. So it’s a first on many levels for us.
Leon van der Merwe, Toyota Motor Europe’s vice president of the supply chain, added:
As a company, we are dedicated to making continuous progress towards carbon neutrality, and this includes seeking ways to reduce emissions from manufacturing, vehicle use, and logistics. By using this new rail freight multi-modal opportunity, we are helping to ensure our low-emission hybrid electric vehicles built at our British Burnaston plant can be transported to our customers in an increasingly sustainable way.
DB Cargo UK is the country’s largest rail freight operator, boasting a fleet of 176 operational diesel locomotives. It hopes to convert them to HVO, beginning with all its freight trains running between an asphalt plant in Birmingham and Tarmac’s site in Leicestershire.
Chris Heaton-Harris, the rail minister, said:
We are boosting British business while cutting carbon. This is what building back greener is all about. Trains are one of the most eco-friendly ways to transport goods and, through ingenuity and innovation, DB Cargo is leading the way in making it even greener.
However, “I’m A Climate Hero” is just one small step of many in the transition towards the UK’s legally binding goal of net zero by 2050. Many more projects like this need to happen. And HVO is only a temporary solution. Eventually, all trains will have to be 100% carbon-free – either running on a carbon-free fuel like green hydrogen or electric.
