Belgium: The freight operator has converted the G1206 diesel locomotive to run on biofuel from vegetable oils, which is estimated to ensure reduce 84% CO2 emissions by 84%.
The locomotive, dubbed FAME, was built by Vossloh in the early 2000s and is equipped with a 1,500 kW Caterpillar engine. Its testing is scheduled for completion in the port of Ghent in June.
With biofuel vehicles in its fleet, Lineas plans to cut the company’s CO2 emissions by 42% already by 2030. According to Daan Schalck, CEO of North Sea Port, this eco-fuel could become economically viable in the 2026–2027 timeframe due to expected increases in CO2 taxes.
At the same time, Arriva, the passenger transport operator from the Netherlands, announced in May 2023 that most of its trains that had been converted to hydrotreated vegetable oil traction were reverted to diesel due to the high cost of biofuel.
