In Brazil, Vale and locomotive manufacturer Wabtec Corporation announced a partnership to develop studies on a dual-fuel engine that can use both diesel and a mixture of diesel and ethanol. The studies will initially be conducted in the laboratory to validate the concept and evaluate performance, emissions reduction, and the ethanol/diesel substitution rate. The studies and tests are expected to take place by 2027, for evaluation of future use in the Vitória-Minas Railway (EFVM) fleet, in Southeastern Brazil.
The agreement to use ethanol, a renewable fuel that replaces fossil diesel, is part of a series of joint initiatives with Wabtec to advance Vale’s railway operations decarbonization program. Last March, the companies announced an agreement to purchase 50 locomotives equipped with Evolution Series engines, prepared to operate with up to 25% biodiesel mixed with diesel. In the coming years, Vale and Wabtec will conduct a series of tests in an attempt to further increase this percentage.
