A Study on Potential for Using New Energy and Renewable Energy Sources in Railways

Abstract

Railway is a kind of widely recognized low-carbon means of transport in which new energy and renewable energy sources can be used on a large scale for rail traction. Also，the power and various forms of heat provided by new energy and renewable energy sources can be used massively for non-traction purposes. The share of electrified railways is the main factor determining the utilization of new energy and renewable energy in railways. The total length of electrified railways in China has exceeded 6.5×104km and it is the longest worldwide. The share of electrified railways in China is expected to reach or even exceed 70% by 2020. Worldwide，electric traction has an enormous room for further development, creating a sound technical platform for a large-scale application of new energy and renewable energy sources. As for non-traction applications, because there are usually a lot of large stations along a railway line, energy use is intensive. This, plus the power needed from equipments along the line，creates conditions for the use of new energy and renewable energy sources. China started to research，develop and utilize the new energy and renewable energy sources in its railways a long time ago and the main energy sources used include solar energy, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps. With the use of new energy and renewable energy sources, the railway industry can become a pathfinder to first extensively realize the low-carbon or carbon-free growth among all the industries, and this still requires the further consummation of relevant policies and a strong support from government.