Environment-friendly shunting
Hybrid locomotives and cooperation during shunting operations reduce both the consumption of resources and emissions.
Environment-friendly hybrid locomotives used in shunting operations in Hamburg from mid-2020.
In 2020, Hanseatische Bahn Contor GmbH (HBC), a subsidiary of IGS Intermodal, significantly reduced fuel consumption and pollutant emissions through its investment in environment-friendly hybrid locomotives. Compared with conventional diesel engines, these innovative locomotives make it possible to reduce diesel consumption in shunting operations in the
seaport of Hamburg by around 73%. This reduction is primarily achieved through the use of electric motors, which are significantly more frictionless and efficient, with diesel generators that only run when energy is actually needed. Also, during idle times, it is always possible to obtain energy from the power grid via cables.
Thanks to this modern equipment, HBC has reduced its carbon emissions in shunting operations in the seaport of Hamburg by around 392 tonnes per year1. The purchase of the new hybrid locomotives was supported by the Investitions- und Förderbank (IFB) in Hamburg.
Cooperation in shunting operations avoids empty runs.
IGS Intermodal’s subsidiary HBC is a member of the Ramona shunting cooperative (the Nordhafen shunting model). Close cooperation between various shunting contractors in the seaport of Hamburg means that shunting locomotives no longer need to conduct empty runs, resulting in more efficient use of resources (locomotives, terminals and tracks).
1) Based on: transport volume in 2019