Battery technology can power rail freight to NetZero
The industrial applications of rail travel are still heavily reliant on ageing diesel stock to keep precious cargo moving worldwide.
The electrification of rail networks is a vast area for potential exploration, and a wide range of lithium-ion battery technologies are being considered in the next generation of electric trains. The heavy-duty application of freight locomotives, combined with the long distances that some freight lines need to travel, creates a unique challenge in the electrification process. The industry requires novel battery technology with the density, charging capabilities and safety systems to operate in a freight train.
Echion’s niobium-based anode material XNO® offers freight rail the opportunity for electrification without sacrificing performance or safety.
How XNO® can power electric rail freight
XNO® can potentially remove many of the limitations of current battery technologies and provide the specifications needed to operate across rail networks. With ‘flash-charging’ capabilities, high energy density and a potential lifecycle of 10,000 cycles under extreme conditions, Echion’s anode material can replenish ageing stock with superior battery-powered locomotives. Benefits include:
Safe and full super-fast charging in two to ten minutes.
Functions safely in extreme environments from -22°F up to +140°F.
Delivers high energy density needed to power freight locomotives.
Enables flash charging in track sections with overhead cables, reducing dwell time.
Available at scale through Echion’s partnership with CBMM, the world’s leading supplier of niobium.
The future of electric freight locomotives
Electric freight locomotives are already being trialled in the USA for mass use. However, these trains can only travel for 150 miles per day without overhead cables and are hindered by a seven megawatt-hour (MWh) battery, roughly 100 times the size of a standard Tesla battery.
For the industry to transition into a greener future, it needs smaller, lighter batteries, with greater energy density, equipped with ultra-fast charging capabilities. These would allow freight trains to run efficiently over long distances, while providing the capability for flash-charging in track sections with overhead cables and during station dwell time.
Whether transporting goods cross country, manoeuvring freight around a port, or for light rail applications, batteries powered by XNO® offer a promising future for electric rail freight.
Powering rail with XNO®
The electrification of the rail network needs to include industrial applications along with the passenger network. While great strides are being made in electric trains built for transportation, Echion’s niobium-based XNO® anode material has been designed to support power industrial sectors such as rail freight into a greener way of operating.
Learn more about Echion’s XNO® battery materials and how they can support you in power rail freight.
Safe, fast-charging, long-life Li-ion batteries with XNO® anode materials >
