Mongolia: The state-owned company Mongolian Railway has converted a 2TE116 locomotive to diesel-battery hybrid traction. The project was carried out for a year together with Chinese experts.
The traction system of the renewed locomotive consists of two 440 kW batteries and two 400 kW engines. The total power of the six-axle vehicle, designated the ESO, is 1,680 kW. It is claimed that the locomotive’s fuel consumption was decreased by 60–70%, with harmful emissions eliminated. Externally, the ESO resembles a shunter, but its intended operational role remains unspecified.
The refurbished double-section locomotive 2TE116 was produced in 1984 at the Lugansk Locomotive Works and has been out of service since 2014 due to having reached the end of its operational life. The current fleet of the Ulaanbaatar Railway in Mongolia includes four locomotives of this series.
