Russia: The announcement has been made at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum 2024.
The TEM18 diesel locomotive has been converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) by VNIKTI, a Russian research and development institute for rolling stock, by order of one of Gazprom subsidiaries. The letters SPG in the new name of the locomotive correspond to the Russian abbreviation for LGN.
To be able to run on gas fuel, the locomotive has been equipped with four gas reciprocating engines and a 3 t cryogenic tank, with all the gas equipment developed by VNIKTI. The vehicle, with a rated power of 780 kW, is expected to be certified by the end of the year.
The first gas shunting locomotive, TEMG1, built by Sinara – Transport Machines, has been operated by another Gazprom subsidiary since 2022.
In 2013, TMH, also a major locomotive builder, produced a prototype of the TEM19. The vehicle, equipped with gas reciprocating engines, was operated by Sverdlovsk Railways. Today, TMH is developing the TEM29 gas locomotive based on the TEM23 shunter.
