Wabtec Announces Rollout of New Sustainable Locomotive to Brazil's Market
Wabtec Corporation, a rail technology company based in America, announced the introduction of a new sustainable locomotive model to Brazil's Freight rail market with deliveries to Suzano, MRS and Rumo. The announcement of the ES44ACi diesel-electric locomotive is aimed at the railroads in Brazil to enhance performance in their decarbonisation efforts.
The new technology will help scale down emissions and fuel consumption by over 5 per cent compared to the previous technology. The reliability of the diesel engine will improve with the use of high-strength material in the ES44ACi and increase intervals for maintenance by around 28 per cent, hence reducing operating costs.
Daniela Ornelas, Vice President of Products at Wabtec, said: "The ES44ACi locomotive features the Evolution Series diesel engine, producing the same 4,500 horsepower with just 12 cylinders compared to its predecessor, the 16-cylinder FDL engine. This represents greater energy efficiency and lower emissions, thanks to a project aimed at the thermal efficiency of combustion combined with a dual-intake air cooling system adopted in these four-stroke turbocharged engines equipped with electronic fuel injection.”
It was an 8-year project to bring the ES44ACi locomotive to the freight rail market in Brazil. The aim is to expedite sustainability in the heavy-haul rail network. The company has received orders from 25 locomotives from Suzano, Rumo and MRS till now.
Juliano Andrade, Latam Commercial Director at Wabtec, said: "Our sustainability vision is grounded in operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner, maintaining a culture of safety, protecting the environment, supporting our communities and developing our employees. This was the main concept applied to the ES44ACi. We, therefore, want to build a better and more sustainable future.”
The largest railway operator in Brazil, Rumo, received the ES44ACi recently. The acquisitions will fortify the technological efforts focused on operational efficacy and safety.
Marcus Rogério Vianna Jorge, Director of Undercarriage at Rumo, said: "Our priority is to promote an increasingly sustainable operation, not only in the economic aspect but also in the social and environmental aspects. With the constant renewal of the fleet, we have gained efficiency in the flow of agricultural and industrial loads, in addition to contributing significantly to the reduction of emissions.”
The ES44ACi will help MRS, a logistics operator, optimize its system. The new technology will supplement more technological advances in the national railway sector.
Anelise Salzani, General Manager of Maintenance Engineering at MRS, said: "MRS has been investing heavily in expanding its fleet to contribute even more efficiency to the national logistics system, generating gains in energy efficiency. We are acquiring the ES44ACi because we expect it to be a locomotive with high power and lowers diesel consumption. It incorporates two pillars of the company: the search for more productivity and the reduction in the volume of emissions, the consolidation of a more sustainable operation.”
