OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will boost the biodiesel fuel blend in its EMD locomotives as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Progress Rail has approved the use of 20% biodiesel blend in the railroad’s EMD locomotives with 710 and 645 engines, up from 5%. Progress subsequently announced it had given similar approval for all locomotives with those engines, not just the UP fleet.
“Union Pacific is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint, and this is another step toward achieving our long-term goal to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 26% by 2030,” Union Pacific Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Beth Whited, who oversees the railroad’s environmental, social and governance-related efforts, said in a statement today (Aug. 19). “We continue to identify opportunities to increase low carbon fuel usage in our locomotives and appreciate Progress Rail’s partnership in our efforts.”
UP said the updated fuel blend recommendation comes after testing high-horsepower road locomotives and monitoring their fuel consumption, as well as the biofuel blend’s impact on engine oil and fuel filters.
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be made from distillers corn oil, soybean oil, animal fats, and recycled cooking oil. It is produced in the Midwest and primarily used in California.
Consultant Michael Iden, whose four-decade railroad career was devoted to locomotive developments while working at EMD, Southern Railway, Chicago & North Western, and Union Pacific, told a conference in June that biodiesel is an interim step for reducing carbon emissions that contribute to climate change [see “Locomotive expert urges rail industry to accelerate research …,” Trains News Wire, June 7, 2021].
But biofuels are not as efficient as straight diesel fuel, so locomotives would have to burn more fuel to do the same amount of work. “There are no silver bullets … with alternative fuels,” Iden told the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Rail Transportation and Engineering Center’s Hay Seminar.
Wabtec approves the use of a 5% biodiesel blend in its locomotives.
— Updated on Aug. 26 with announcement from Progress Rail of approval for all diesels.
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