Use of Biodiesel in Railways and Its Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Land Use

Policy concern about local and global pollutant emissions from Class 1 rail freight is increasing. However, long-life characteristics of locomotives hinder mitigation opportunities typically available in other sectors. This paper focuses on the potential of soybean-based biodiesel to improve rail freights environmental performance. This paper will investigate differing rates of biodiesel penetration on total and fossil fuel energy consumption in both the well-to-pump and pump-to-wheel cycles estimating the impact on four criteria and three Greenhouse Gas (GHG) pollutants. The latter is of particular interest as the impact of this sector on global climate change has largely been overlooked. In addition, we estimate resultant potential land use impacts. The authors find that carbon dioxide emission reductions are modest and they come at the cost of increased levels of local pollutants. In addition, large-scale biodiesel penetration will likely result in significant land use changes. This suggests policymakers will have to look to other mitigation strategies (i.e. mandating emissions from existing rail operations or facilitating second-generation biodiesel for rail).

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • McDonnell, Simon Thomas
  • Lin, Jie
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2009-1-11 to 2009-1-15
• Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 18p
• Monograph Title: TRB 88th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Biodiesel fuels; Energy consumption; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Fossil fuels; Freight transportation; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Locomotive operations; Pollutants; Railroad transportation
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Railroads; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01126818
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 09-1537
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 17 2009 9:56AM