VTG Aktiengesellschaft, a wagon hire and rail logistics company, is collaborating with Chart Ferox, a worldwide manufacturer of storage, transport, and distribution systems for liquefied air and natural gases, to build two prototype units for the safe and economical carriage of LNG by rail.
“We are very excited by the fact that we are creating an entirely new transport option for LNG, and one that reinforces Chart’s small scale LNG product portfolio,” says Miroslav Cerny, Chart Ferox Director of Business Development.
Innovation for greater safety
VTG is responsible for the development and the final completion of the two prototypes including obtaining the necessary permissions and railway specific approval. Final assembly of the LNG railcar will take place at Waggonbau Graaff in Elze (Germany), VTG’s innovation platform. The cryogenic parts, vessels and cabinets, will be built at Chart Ferox facility in Czech Dĕčin. The prototypes will be capable of transporting double the payload volume as compared to an LNG tank container or truck. Due to the excellent insulation properties, LNG rail tank car holding time is up to six weeks. A unique suspension technology between the cryogenic vessel and the undercarriage rail frame required special development, which concluded dynamic and vibration calculation tests.
As an additional safety measure the wagons are fitted with 25 ton wheel sets instead of the usual 22.5 ton wheel sets and as an option GPS monitoring of the pressurized container. Even transport from and to Spain does not represent a hurdle in spite of the different track gauges. The wagon is designed so as to enable gauge conversion at the Spanish border. The prototypes will be completed by the end of 2014 and subsequently undergo a rigorous testing and approval process.
From road to rail
To date, natural gas has traditionally been transported via pipelines. Because the volume of the cryogenic natural gas decreases about 600 times once liquefied, it can be transported by ship, truck, and tank container. Especially in this area, VTG sees a distinct potential for rail in the transport of LNG. “In addition to the profitability aspect, this is primarily also substantiated by the safety and environmental protection represented by rail transport,” continues Fischer .
Two rail tank cars replace four trucks or five tank containers on the roads. That means fewer traffic jams, lower environmental impacts, and lower costs.
[mappress] Press Release, May 27, 2014; Image: VTG