89% of Renfe’s passenger and freight traffic runs on electrified – and therefore partly decarbonised – networks supplied by a mix of electricity sources (53% emission-free and 33% renewable energy). The company has reduced it carbon footprint by 56% since 1990 (the reference year of the Kyoto Protocol) to 24.2 grams of CO2 per transported unit and has consistently maintained a strategy of sustainability and energy efficiency, which includes a new agreement with Adif to strengthen a number of areas in the railway system, improve consumption practices and energy savings, as well as innovative projects to analyse rail traction powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) or hydrogen fuel cells as potential alternatives for fossil fuel.

These were the main actions presented by Renfe towards a zero-emission transport sector in the medium to long-term during Conama2016 – the National Environment Congress held in Madrid.

Together with a number of other partners, Renfe is coordinating two innovation projects focused on studying the potential advantages of using liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors as an alternative to diesel traction for non-electrified lines in Spain.

Renfe is initiating other courses of action in the field of energy. The company has established a framework agreement with Adif (Spain’s railway infrastructure manager) on sustainability and energy efficiency focusing on the management of energy supply, traction efficiency and the management of energy for other purposes.

(Source: Renfe)