Cando to develop battery-powered switching locomotive

Cando Rail & Terminals of Edmonton, Alberta, today announced it’s developing a lithium-ion (li-ion) battery-powered switching locomotive.

The legacy, non-tier compliant locomotive will be retrofitted with a li-ion battery propulsion system to provide a customized solution for the company’s yard or closed loop switching operations, Cando officials said in a press release.

Li-ion battery-powered locomotives — which will be zero-emission and able to perform all work as required by a normal diesel-powered locomotive in switching operations — will result in fuel savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions for Cando’s customers, they added.

The Alberta government is contributing CA$2 million toward Cando’s CA$4 million project through the Emissions Reduction for Alberta for the Industrial Transformation Challenge.

"This industry-transforming initiative could drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping rail service providers and industrial companies moving product by rail meet sustainability goals faster," said Cando Chief Commercial Officer Steve Bromley.

When the retrofit is completed, Cando will demonstrate and evaluate the technical performance of the battery-powered locomotive and supporting charging infrastructure in a real-world switching environment in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.