Railway sector stands out in energy efficiency

The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, Ren 21, has published its annual State of the World Renewable Energy Report, which points to significant opportunities for renewable energy in the transport sector, despite having a penetration rate of only 4%, but being the fastest growing sector in terms of consumption.

The report reveals positive trends in adopting renewable energy in the transport sector, which have been significantly boosted by the energy crisis, rising fossil fuel prices and a growing commitment to fight climate change.

Road transport accounted for almost 78% of consumption in 2021, while rail transport represented only 3%. In this context, the report highlighted the importance of the "Avoid-Shift-Improve" framework to reduce the need for motorised transport and encourage the use of less energy-intensive modes of transport such as walking, cycling and trains.

Recently, the French railways, SNCF, signed an agreement to purchase solar energy for twenty-five years as part of its goal to source 40-50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2026. In a similar effort, Austrian railways, ÖBB, announced that they would invest €1 billion in hydroelectric, wind and solar projects.

Overall, the rail sector is working to improve energy efficiency and increasingly using renewable sources and alternative technologies such as batteries and hydrogen, which demonstrates a growing intention to fight climate change and for sustainability by offering a low-carbon option in line with UIC Vision 2030 and the 'More Trains' campaign.

Source text and image: Via Libre