Australia: The $7.2 mln project has been implemented by the commuter operator Adelaide Metro in partnership with the electrical engineering company ABB from 2022. It is the first project of its kind in the country.
The project involved the refurbishment of 22 single-car Class 3000 diesel trains and 14 two-car Class 3100 trains built between 1988 and 1996 by local companies Comeng and Clyde Engineering. The first refurbished train entered revenue service in autumn 2023 and the last in January this year.
ABB supplied the Energy Storage System, ESS, and Bordline Max 700-HP Li-ion battery packs with autonomous cooling. Charged by regenerative braking, the batteries are used to provide energy for train operation, including onboard equipment.
A diesel train with ABB batteries in Australia. Source: ABB
Geo-fencing allows battery packs to be activated when a train approaches a station, reducing fuel consumption by 20%, or between 0.7 and 1 mln litres annually.
