News Archive Article

Only funding needed to electrify railways

CANADA - Currently, the main impediment to railway electrification is the amount of capital needed to make it happen, even with the positive return on the investment, which is probably higher now than ever before.

The model suggested above of 24,800 kms of electrified single track would require an investment in the order of $7.5 billion.

An innovative method of financing, such as a PPP (Public Private Partnership) or a system of outside guarantees for the infrastructure assets, should be considered because the investment is beyond a reasonable size to add to the balance sheets of the railways, even though the payback would be achieved in less than 10 years.

The railways would save more than $1.4 billion annually in energy costs.

With the growth of electric power generation from wind turbines in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia, and the abundant hydro power available in Quebec, non-fossil fuel electricity generation is now available in every province in Canada.

Wind energy can be purchased through the provincial electrical grid for delivery to almost any load within that grid. Thus, additional loads such as railway electrification do not imply substitution of one form of fossil fuel, diesel, to another one such as coal or residual fuel oil to generate the electric power.

Railway electrification is an environmental bargain that offers long term security of affordable transportation for our Canadian industry, agriculture and natural resources.

Related News

Updated Germany hydrogen strategy sees heavy reliance on imported fuel

BERLIN - Germany will have to import up to 70% of its hydrogen demand in the future as Europe's largest economy aims to become climate-neutral by 2045, an updated government strategy published on Wednesday showed.

The German cabinet approved a new hydrogen strategy, setting guidelines for hydrogen production, transport infrastructure and market plans.

Germany is seeking to expand reliance on hydrogen as a future energy source to cut greenhouse emissions for highly polluting industrial sectors that cannot be electrified such as steel and chemicals and cut dependency on imported fossil fuel.

Produced using solar and wind power, green hydrogen is a pillar of…

READ MORE
Iran, Iraq Discuss Further Cooperation in Energy Sector

Iran, Iraq Discuss Further Cooperation in Energy Sector

READ MORE

nuclear power plant

What's at stake if Davis-Besse and other nuclear plants close early?

READ MORE

solar panel on roof of home

High Natural Gas Prices Make This The Time To Build Back Better - With Clean Electricity

READ MORE

powerlines

UCP scraps electricity price cap, some will see $7 bill increase this month

READ MORE