Industry News Premier Rail

Fast-track to the future of sustainable urban transport

Written by Amy

As urbanization, digitalization and climate change continue to fuel a new age of sustainable transport, Antonio Colla, Electrification Global Rail Segment Leader for ABB, explores the power distribution innovations that are making it possible.

In a future, where it is predicted that by 2050 68 percent of people will live in urban areas and the world’s population will stand at 9.7 billion, transport will play an even more critical role in promoting connectivity, trade and economic growth in an increasingly globalized world.

But transport could also be seen as one of the world’s biggest sources of carbon emissions too. In this way, the global shift towards a sustainable, integrated approach to transport is not only essential to making cities resilient but also to tackling climate change.

We are already seeing economies around the world accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, clean energy sources and intelligent transport systems. This shift also fits into the wider digitalization piece, as more modern cities move towards a connected, smart infrastructure.

As the most sustainable form of high-volume transport, rail continues to take a lead role with continued investment in existing infrastructure and rapid transit systems, including monorails, tram and metro systems across developing markets.

In an industry that is inherently reliant on a reliable, uninterruptible power supply this, in turn, has prompted new innovation in the power distribution technologies used to enable both current and future needs.

Cutting installation time

One example can be found in the latest modular solutions which have been purposely designed to provide a rapid response for even the shortest delivery frameworks and the most complex projects.

Being pre-fabricated, pre-engineered, and pre-tested, modular power supply substations are efficiently adaptable to a changing environment with minimal to no downtime. This can reduce deployment time by up to 50 percent.

To electrify larger urban transportation projects, there is also the option of an e-House – a custom-engineered, prefabricated, modular outdoor enclosure designed to house a range of electrical and automation equipment. The key advantage in this approach is that all the construction, testing and assembly is done beforehand, so it can be delivered as a ‘drop in’ solution with minimum site works for installation and commissioning.  In busy rail operations, which are typically on around the clock, this approach can drastically cut losses in revenue from downtime and keep traffic disruption to a minimum.

But it’s not just about securing a reliable power supply for modern transport operators, it is just as important to find new ways to use that power more efficiently.

Rail is not only the lowest emitting mode of transport, but it is the most electrified. Globally, it is estimated that three-quarters of passenger rail transport and half of rail freight is powered by electricity. With this comes a unique opportunity to lead the way in renewable integration, energy efficiency and asset optimization to set the standard for sustainable transport. At ABB, for example, we have experience in supporting reliable and sustainable electrification in the development of a second metro line in Warsaw through to the construction of rapid transit for Greater Toronto, along with many other major rail infrastructure projects worldwide.

In terms of recommendations, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) offer a proven solution, enabling operators to manage energy costs by leveraging peak shaving, load shifting and maximization of self-consumption. Another big benefit is that these systems can provide critical backup power, preventing revenue losses due to production outages, while contributing to energy reductions and making the overall railroad system more competitive.

For example, ABB’s dedicated smart energy management solutions based on Insulated-gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) power semiconductor technology for DC railway applications, capture and store the surplus of braking energy for other trains or re-inject it back into the feeding grid. Through these innovative systems, repeating this cycle thousands of times a day, railway operators can improve the overall energy efficiency of their transportation system. At ABB, we believe this innovation is a critical component of building better resilience and helping keep pace with growing demand while futureproofing existing infrastructure.

There is no other form of mass transport that has more potential to support net-zero goals while, at the same time, serving the evolving needs of rapid urbanization and digitalization. Cities of the future will have to fast-track the journey ahead to truly sustainable transport if they want to tackle the climate crisis.

About the author

Amy