AUSTRALIA: Freight operator Aurizon is to trial the use of a battery Electric Tender intended to reduce emissions from heavy haul rail operations by enabling diesel-battery hybrid operation using existing diesel locomotives.
The 1·8 MW Battery Electric Tender, described by Aurizon as ’essentially a big battery-pack on wheels’, will be coupled with a modified diesel locomotive to operate as a hybrid system using both diesel and battery power. The battery will be charged using energy regenerated during braking and downhill travel, and also from a static DC recharging station.
The trials are to be conducted on Alcoa’s Kwinana to Pinjarra route in Western Australia during the second half of 2026. Aurizon said aluminium company Alcoa is a long-standing customer, and the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to innovation and decarbonisation in freight operations.
Battery Electric Tender technology
In March 2024 Aurizon was awarded a A$9·4m Australian Renewable Energy Agency grant to cover half the development and testing costs of the Battery Powered Tender for Heavy Haul Fleet Decarbonisation project, with the operator funding the remainder.
The project is being undertaken with Alta Battery Technology, which has devloped a DC-to-DC converter to connect diesel assets to electric power sources.
Work on the tender wagon has now been completed, and detailed design work is underway for the locomotive modifications, the battery container and charging infrastructure.
Zero-emission ambitions
The testing agreement with Alcoa ‘is an important milestone in our BET project’, Aurizon Managing Director & CEO Andrew Harding said on October 27. ‘It is part of our broader strategy to transition our locomotive fleet to zero-emissions technologies, tailored to the diverse needs of our customers and the unique operating conditions across Australia.’
Alcoa Australia President Elsabe Muller said ‘this project could have broader implications across our business and is one of multiple initiatives with potential to assist Alcoa’s net-zero ambitions.’
