Posted on 09/12/2013 7:11:43 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
Just how flexible is natural gas? Beyond powering your home heating systems, daily commute vehicles, long-haul trucks and ships at sea, America's own abundant natural gas is now being tested on the rail tracks. BNSF Railway Co., the largest railroad in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, will begin testing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a locomotive fuel.
Matthew Rose, BNSF's Chairman and CEO, announced the plans at CERAWeek earlier this year. "The use of liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel is a potential transformational change for our railroad and for our industry… potentially reducing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions, thereby providing environmental and energy security benefits to our nation." Businesses and municipal fleets across the country have already found enormous cost savings by converting their vehicles to natural gas, and the same will soon be said for the railroads.
According to Dow Jones Newswires, BNSF estimates that, after the Navy, it is the second largest consumer of diesel in the U.S. With diesel prices at nearly $4 per gallon compared to just over $2 per gallon for large volume LNG users, the cost savings are game-changing. Preliminary tests by General Electric and Caterpillar, which are developing the locomotives, indicate that trains powered by natural gas could also travel farther between refueling and have equivalent towing power to diesel. And because trains, like fleet vehicles, travel on fixed routes, building a fueling infrastructure for freight rail makes good economic sense.
Beyond the corporate balance sheet, using natural gas is significantly better for our nation’s air quality than conventional alternatives, with fewer nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (Sox) emissions and no diesel particulates.
Thanks to decisions by BNSF and other industrial users to power with natural gas, the journey to a cleaner energy future may be just down the tracks. Think about it.
Who knew?
Was it BNSF that used to run ads bragging they could go 200mi on a gallon of diesel?
Alternative fuels make perfect sense in these situations. An added bonus is that if they switch over a large percentage--or all--of their locomotives to natgas, it will ease the demand for diesel, helping to keep the price lower for consumer diesel vehicles.
Alright. Buffett can use his natural gas powered trains to carry oil from Canada to Texas instead of just building a pipeline ..... I guess that’s what His Arrogance is always talking about when he says that business “needs to buy in” to his policies .... I just didn’t understand the “buy in” is really a bribe or political contribution or deferred compensation.
1 ton of freight one mile on a gallon or something like that...
So this quote is essentially meaningless as given.
diesel prices at nearly $4 per gallon compared to just over $2 per gallon for large volume LNG user.
Unless a gallon of diesel and a gallon of LNG contain the same energy.
“after the Navy, it is the second largest consumer of diesel in the U.S”
Interesting, don’t imagine most know (including the Congress Critters) that the Navy is the largest.
I think most assume the Navy is mostly nuclear now...
I don't know, but it is basically correct.
Jeff, you’re not thinking like a politician. If BNSF and a few other biggies switch over to nat G some elected moron will get the idea that it’s more feasable now to ban evil diesel fuel, or tax it at smoking (cigs) levels to discourage it’s use.
Also, Nat G is a huge feedstock for making things, encouraging it’s uses as a major motive fuel (especially if subsidized) will have the end result of making many synthetics more expensive, along with cooking and heating costs.
LNG is 60% of the energy density of diesel (no idea if that's by weight or volume) which would seem to eliminate most of the cost savings, especially if you add in higher handling costs.
No subsidy needed. We have more natgas than we know what to do with, plenty enough to supply fuel needs AND manufaturing.
The numbers were not dramatically better than trucks.
I mean subsidized by gov to get folks to switch, not that they’d do anything unmotivated by greed and votes...
We have several hundred years worth under the current utilization scheme. We have about 50-70 if we decide it needs to be a major energy source for generation and locomotion along with being exported as LNG.
“trains... travel on fixed routes
Who knew? “
Too funny!
At least until the new rubber tire trains come out, or the rumored flying trains.
$4 per gallon compared to just over $2 per gallon for LNG.
That’s not apples to apples. You have to compare price per BTU.
A gallon of LNG is 82644BTUs.
A gallon of Diesel is 129000BTUs or 1.56 times LNG.
I think $4 is a little high for the diesel especially for a non road use bulk user(about 50 cents in taxes), but a 10% savings would still be great.
Granted, we could make it and diesel out of coal using molten salt thorium reactor waste heat, so there is a lot more on that angle too...
Well, the numbers include the railroad owning all of its right of way too. Trucks don’t; that’s all socialized.
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