The SNCF, Alstom and four regions of France presented this Wednesday the first hybrid TER, which circulates thanks to electric catenaries, diesel and lithium-ion batteries.
After eight months of testing, this new greener, more economical and less noisy technology should be certified by the end of the year.
The experimental commercial commissioning of the hybrid TER should take place in the second quarter of 2023 in one of the four partner regions.
After hybrid cars, the hybrid train.
While the decarbonization of means of transport has been at the heart of the reflections of mobility players for several months, the SNCF has decided not to stay at the quay to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve this, its teams of engineers have been working for several months on various solutions.
This Wednesday, the railway group presented its hybrid TER solution, developed in partnership with Alstom and four French regions (Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Grand-Est and Centre-Val-de-Loire) for an amount of 16.8 million euros.
D-day for the unveiling of the 1st hybrid #TER train!
🚆🌱 Developed with @AlstomFrance, even more ecological and energy efficient, it will start in 2023 in 4 pioneering regions: @regiongrandest, @RCValdeLoire, @NvelleAquitaine and @Occitanie.
pic.twitter.com/B9O0zrpFgx
– SNCF Voyageurs (@SNCFVoyageurs) February 16, 2022
Today, TER trains run on electric or diesel, with the exception of 230 RĂ©giolis trains in service which combine the two modes.
But it is difficult for the SNCF to achieve the objective of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, or even to achieve a reduction in its emissions from transport activities by 30% by 2030. without changing direction.
And there is no question of electrifying all of its lines, at 1 million euros per kilometer, the cost would be exorbitant and impossible to sustain financially.
“SNCF's course is extremely clear, we want to get out of diesel.
In the TER, a quarter of the traction energy is still diesel today, our objective in the coming years is to have zero greenhouse gas emissions.
It is a logic of several innovation solutions for this decarbonization.
There is hydrogen, biofuels and today this hybrid solution thanks to batteries,” explained Christophe Fanichet, Chairman and CEO of SNCF Voyageurs during the presentation of the project.
A concept much cheaper than electrification and which has the advantage of being faster to deploy since it consists of adapting the RĂ©giolis trains already in service.
Braking energy recovery
Two years ago, the SNCF and Alstom project managers therefore embarked on the adaptation of one of them.
“We have transformed the Régiolis dual-mode electric-diesel TER train into a hybrid train, replacing half of its diesel combustion engines with lithium-ion batteries.
These batteries allow the energy from braking to be recovered, stored and reused rather than losing it in the form of heat.
They thus optimize the performance of internal combustion engines and limit energy losses and expenditure.
The hybrid train therefore uses three sources of energy: the electric catenary, the combustion engine and the batteries,” explains François Degardin, head of the hybrid TER project within the SNCF.
To achieve this, we had to innovate.
Because what is already developed for hybrid cars is far from being adaptable to the train.
To have a compact and light battery, new components have been used by Alstom for its development, in particular silicon carbide.
And find a way to make them last 40 years, the classic longevity of a train.
More economical, less noisy
For now, the prototype has been tested for eight months during 10,000 km of technical tests.
“And after eight months of testing, our assumptions have been validated, it works and gives the expected performance.
Today, more than 90% of braking energy is recovered by this system, which represents more than 20% savings in terms of train consumption.
Less use of diesel also means less maintenance and less upkeep, with a train that will run at the same speed and have a range with these three modes of 1,000 km", continues Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, the president. of Alstom France
Batteries can take over in complete autonomy over 23 to 25 km depending on the speed of the TER, “with continuous recharging at each braking”, continues Carole Desnot, Director of Innovation and Research for the railway group.
They are mainly used in stations and in urban areas because they have the advantage of reducing the noise emitted by the train.
"We gain ten decibels, we divide the noise by two, it's enormous", assures the head of innovation.
Commissioning in the 2nd quarter of 2023
This hybrid traction prototype will begin its final phase of testing on the national rail network with a view to certification by the end of the year.
The first RĂ©giolis hybrid trains should run as part of an experimental commercial service during the second quarter of 2023 in Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Grand-Est and Centre-Val-de-Loire, the four regions to have invested in this project. .
“We have a desire to develop the TER and at the same time the greening of the entire fleet of these.
There is a complementarity of modes, since we are also in the adventure of the hydrogen train and that of the battery train because there is an interest in the great energy mix", affirms Jean-Luc Gibelin, vice-president of the Occitanie region for mobility and transport infrastructure.
He assured, like the other representatives of the regions, that his community would place an order to equip its RĂ©giolis trains.
Economy
Transport: The CEO of the SNCF asks for more means for the railway, which is not very polluting
Society
Airbus is determined to "transform aviation so that carbon is no longer an issue"
Public transport
Pollution
Planet
Train
TER
Society
0 comment
0 share
Share on Messenger
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Flipboard
Share on Pinterest
Share on Linkedin
Send by Mail
To safeguard
A fault ?
To print