Westport Innovations Inc. announced the launch of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tender product solution with an order for four tenders from Canadian National Railway. The first tender to supply fuel to an adjacent natural-gas powered locomotive will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2013.
“There is growing consensus around the enormous potential of using LNG as a fuel for locomotives and there is a clear path for the industry to achieve this shift to a cleaner, cheaper and domestically available fuel,” said Nicholas Sonntag, Executive Vice-President at Westport. “The Westport LNG Tender leverages our substantial expertise in LNG storage, cryogenic systems, and natural gas fuel delivery for mobile applications to create a product that will immediately help railroads to validate the value of LNG in their operations today, with a built-in upgrade pathway to the next-generation locomotives coming over the next few years.”
Putting the LNG on a Westport LNG Tender, rather than simply replacing the diesel fuel tanks on existing locomotives, offers a number of advantages:
“CN is testing natural gas locomotives and Westport’s experience in providing LNG solutions for transportation makes it the natural partner for us,” said Gerry Weber, CN Vice-President Supply, Fleet and Fuel Management. “These tenders will be used immediately with our dual fuel locomotives in mainline service, allowing CN to continue to explore this technology as a means to advance the company’s sustainability agenda and improve environmental emissions.”
Westport is collaborating with INOXCVA, a leading manufacturer of cryogenic transportation equipment, on these tenders. Westport and INOXCVA have entered into an agreement for cryogenic systems to be able to rapidly meet the near-term demand in the rail industry.
Westport has also been collaborating with Caterpillar Inc. since June 2012 to co-develop natural gas technology for Caterpillar products, including the next generation of locomotives. The first high pressure direct injection (HPDI) locomotive will be demonstrated in 2014 through a consortium program funded by Sustainable Technology Development Canada in partnership with Canadian National Railway, Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD, a subsidiary of Progress Rail Services, a Caterpillar company), and Gaz Metro. Caterpillar and Westport are combining technologies and expertise, including Westport™ HPDI technology and Caterpillar’s industry leading off-road engine and machine product technology, to develop these new natural gas products. Commercial production of HPDI locomotives by EMD is expected in 2017.
[mappress] LNG World News Staff, June 05, 2013