Major Japan railway now powered only by renewable energy

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo’s Shibuya is famed for its Scramble Crossing, where crowds of people crisscross the intersection in a scene symbolizing urban Japan’s congestion and anonymity. It may have added another boasting right.

Tokyu Railways’ trains running through Shibuya and other stations were switched to power generated only by solar and other renewable sources starting April 1.

That means the carbon dioxide emissions of Tokyu’s sprawling network of seven train lines and one tram service now stand at zero, with green energy being used at all its stations, including for vending machines for drinks, security camera screens and lighting.

Tokyu, which employs 3,855 people and connects Tokyo with nearby Yokohama, is the first railroad operator in Japan to have achieved that goal. It says the carbon dioxide reduction is equivalent to the annual average emissions of 56,000 Japanese households.

https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-business-yokohama-japan-e16b51384eed8be69c10cc11d0810a4e

[hunter]

1. So the trains stop when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing?

That's awesome!

Sometimes I imagine a solar and wind powered railroad across the U.S.A.. The solar panels and wind turbines would be installed along the tracks and the trains would move as the sun was shining or the wind was blowing. If the sun wasn't shining and the wind wasn't blowing the trains would stop.

Traveling across the U.S.A. by train would be very similar to sailing across the Atlantic. How quick you got to your destination would depend on the weather.

No, it doesn't work like that?

Sigh... it's just another accounting trick.

When the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing these trains are powered by fossil fuels or nuclear reactors, same as all the other electric trains.

[Finishline42]

5. A couple of minutes reading and I found this...

The renewable sources driving Tokyu trains include hydropower, geothermal-power, wind power and solar power, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that provides the electricity and tracks its energy sourcing.

Tokyu has more than 100 kilometers (64 miles) of railway tracks serving 2.2 million people a day, including commuting “salarymen” and “salarywomen” and schoolchildren in uniforms.

There's more to renewable energy than just wind and solar...

[NNadir]

2. Let me guess. The train doesn't run at night if the wind isn't blowing?

Pretty much all of the "net zero" announcements are inaccurate marketing.

So called "renewable energy" is not reliable, nor is it even "renewable."

We're decades into these types of delusional announcements and yesterday the carbon dioxide concentration measurement at the Mauna Loa observatory was over 422 ppm.

When we allow marketing team to lie to us, or when we lie to ourselves about energy, we are not only hurting ourselves, we are injuring all future generations

[Caribbeans]

3. Next, Hydrogen Trains

East Japan Railway unveils hydrogen-powered train

February 18, 2022
East Japan Railway (JR East) has unveiled a hydrogen-powered test train that features a fuel cell system and storage batteries, according to Jiji Press.

Said to be the first of its kind in Japan, the two-car hydrogen fuel cell hybrid train is named Hydrogen-Hybrid Advanced Rail Vehicle for Innovation (HYBARI).

JR East plans to undertake test runs for the new train from late March 2022, with plans to start commercial operation in 2030...

...Toyota Motor has developed the fuel cell system for the train while the hybrid drive system is provided by Hitachi.
https://www.railway-technology.com/news/japan-railway-hydrogen-train/

Toyota's Fuel Cell stack can power their H2 cars, buses, trucks, trains, boats, a moon rover and anything else that needs an engine.

Hybrid test vehicle FV-E991 series "HYBARI" Class A transport / self-propelled scene, etc.

UK: University of Birmingham - WHY HYDROGEN TRAINS?

2 Hydrogen Trains running in Germany right now with 40 on order. H2 trains coming soon to the UK, France, China, Korea and more.

[hunter]

4. My favorite synthetic fuel is Dimethyl Ether (DME).

It's not as squirrelly as hydrogen to store and transport and its overall efficiency in diesel engines specifically designed for its use is better than electrolysis derived hydrogen used in fuel cells or combustion engines. Its properties are very similar to "bottled gasses" like propane. It can be used in stoves and other heating appliances just like propane.

Like hydrogen, DME is typically made from natural gas. It could also be made from atmospheric carbon dioxide with a suitable energy input which would make it a net zero-carbon fuel with any zero carbon energy source.

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/emerging_dme.html

Here's a commercial site I have no affiliation with:

https://oberonfuels.com/

DME's direct competitor would be diesel and jet fuel made from carbon dioxide dissolved in seawater. That requires no changes to existing transportation modes. The USA is exploring the use of this technology in nuclear powered aircraft carriers. An aircraft carrier could make fuel for its aircraft and escorts, eliminating a carrier group's dependence on vulnerable fossil fuels inputs.

Electrifying railroads shouldn't be any big deal. It's a 140 year old technology. Electric trains can be powered by any available electricity source -- be it wind, solar, or nuclear power.

I'm an enthusiast of active "third rail" technologies which would eliminate unsightly overhead lines. Sections of an active third rail are only energized as the train passes above them. When there is no train passing above the third rail is harmless. If trains have some small battery capacity the third rail can be omitted entirely at road crossings and other similarly sensitive places. The power lines supplying the the third rail can be buried underground.