European rail freight operator Lineas and sustainable aluminum solutions provider Novelis have marked a new logistics milestone by deploying advanced hybrid locomotives for freight transport across Germany. The milestone was marked during a joint meeting in Göttingen bringing together teams from both companies, in the presence of Manfred Burk, recently appointed Country Manager of Lineas Germany.
Advanced hybrid traction delivers operational flexibility
The event provided an opportunity to showcase one of two EURO9000 locomotives used by Lineas for these traffics in Germany. These locomotives combine electric and diesel traction, allowing complete trains to operate both on electrified and non-electrified lines:
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Dual-propulsion engineering: Equipped with both electric power and two onboard diesel engines of 950kW each, the locomotives can dynamically switch from electric to diesel mode while driving. This provides major operational flexibility on partially electrified routes while contributing to lower emissions and reduced energy costs.
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Increased electric runtime: Compared with previous operations, the deployment of the EURO9000 locomotives allows a significantly larger share of the journey to be performed under electric traction. This results in lower fuel consumption, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased operational flexibility.
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Reliability gains: The enhanced traction capabilities contribute to improved operational reliability and network performance.
Decarbonizing the aluminum supply chain
Novelis, as a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, plays a key role in supplying low-carbon aluminum solutions to industries such as automotive, beverage packaging and aerospace. With circularity and sustainability at the core of Novelis’ strategy, reliable and lower-emission rail transport solutions play an important role in the company’s supply chain across Europe.
Based on current traffic volumes, the new locomotives are expected to reduce CO2e emissions by approximately 1,762 tonnes per year. The deployment of these locomotives further enhances Lineas’ ability to support industrial customers with reliable, flexible and cross-border rail freight solutions across key European corridors. Germany is a strategic market for Lineas, which continues to expand its international activities while pursuing its ambition to become Europe’s most reliable freight railway undertaking.
Partnership perspective
“At Novelis, sustainability and operational reliability go hand in hand,” said Roland Leder, Vice President Supply Chain Novelis Europe. “Expanding rail-based logistics is a key lever to reduce emissions across our European supply chain. We are pleased to continue this long-standing partnership with Lineas. The deployment of hybrid locomotives is a step forward, helping us increase the share of low-emission transport and contributing to our ‘Novelis 3×30’ ambition to be the lowest–emission flat rolled products provider.”
Luc Pirenne, Chief Commercial Officer at Lineas, added: “Our partnership with Novelis demonstrates how innovation in rail freight can deliver both operational and environmental benefits. The introduction of the EURO9000 locomotives allows us to offer even more efficient, flexible and sustainable transport solutions while continuing to support Novelis’ industrial supply chain with the reliability our customers expect.”
