Mendocino Railway is thrilled to announce that its sister company, Sierra Northern Railway (SERA), has been awarded significant funding from the California State Transportation Agency. This funding fuels a groundbreaking initiative to convert three diesel switching locomotives into hydrogen-powered, zero-emission locomotives, affirming SERA’s dedication to an eco-friendly future in the rail industry.
Adding to an existing project with the California Energy Commission, Sierra Northern Railway is already developing a hydrogen-fueled locomotive. With this new funding, they will broaden their green energy footprint with three additional locomotives, marking a pivotal advancement in the railway industry’s journey toward sustainable energy and emissions reduction.
Collaborating with the State of California, Port and Freight Infrastructure Project Funding, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Sierra Northern Railway will use the approximately $19.5 million grantto develop, demonstrate, and stringently test these additional hydrogen-fueled switcher locomotives. A thorough assessment of these innovative locomotives will be conducted on a dedicated test track, to be built in SERA’s West Sacramento rail yard.
Mendocino Railway, a steadfast supporter of Sierra Northern Railway, expresses immense pride in this momentous achievement. “We are incredibly proud to witness Sierra Northern Railway being awarded these funds, as they continue leading the industry in converting their switching locomotives to hydrogen-powered, zero-emissions solutions,” said Robert Jason Pinoli, President of Mendocino Railway. “These forward-thinking partnerships, like the one with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, align seamlessly with the State of California’s vision of achieving a zero emission solution for all switching locomotives.”
Embracing Mendocino Railway’s vision, the incorporation of hydrogen technology represents a significant step twards phasing out old higher-emission diesel locomotives (Tier-zero) and integrating more sustainable solutions. “We have several low-emission Tier III Genset locomotives ready to be brought to Willits for service. However, the state-owned NWP railroad remains closed, blocking our ability to bring them beyond Windsor.”
In collaboration with their sister company, Sierra Energy, a premier gasification technology developer, Sierra Northern Railway will examine opportunities to fuel its new zero-emission hydrogen-powered locomotives with clean hydrogen produced from discarded rail ties. Sierra Energy specializes in the development and deployment of advanced clean energy technologies. Its FastOx® gasification technology converts a wide variety of waste feedstocks into clean syngas, which can then be transformed into green hydrogen, as well as other clean energy and chemicals such as green methanol, green ammonia, and renewable natural gas (RNG).
This ambitious project is made possible by he cooperation between numerous stakeholders, including Sierra Northern Railway, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Railpower Tech LLC, Ballard Power Systems, Velocity Strategies, Gas Technology Institute, WHA International, UC Riverside, College of Engineering – Center for Environmental Research and Technology, and Valley Vision.
Sierra Northern Railway, Mendocino Railway, and Sierra Energy are all wholly-owned subsidiaries of Sierra Railroad Company. Overall, Sierra Railroad operates 186 miles of track in California, providing essential transportation to a diverse range of customers.
For more information about Mendocino Railway, Sierra Northern Railway, Sierra Energy, and their innovative initiatives, please visit http://www.sierrarailroad.com. For additional information about Sierra Energy and its advanced clean energy technologies, please visit http://sierraenergy.com/
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