Sun powers Eurotrain
Solar tunnel powers part of Paris-Amsterdam train line
See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc7ahEzVt1U
High-speed international trains linking Paris and Amsterdam as of Monday became the first in Europe to use electricity generated by solar panels installed in a tunnel on the line.
The train ride from Paris to Amsterdam may not be the most scenic of European railway routes, but it's the only one capable of harnessing the awesome power of the Sun for two miles, at least.
Yesterday, engineers in Belgium officially switched on Europe's first solar-powered train tunnel, spanning a 2.1-mile stretch of the rail line connecting the City of Lights to Mokum.
The installation's 16,000 solar panels will be used to provide 50 percent of the energy needed to power nearby Antwerp Central Station and to provide extra juice for both high-speed and traditional trains.
The panels produce 3,300 megawatts per hour of electricity, or the average annual consumption of nearly 1,000 families. while decreasing CO2 emissions by about 2,400 tonnes.
At a cost of 15.6 million euros, the 3.6-kilometre tunnel crossing Antwerp, in northern Belgium, is fitted with 16,000 solar panels covering 50,000 square metres, roughly eight football pitches.
The first "green train" left Antwerp on Monday for the Dutch border. While it was filled as usual with commuters and students, for a dozen or so kilometres, its engines plugged into the solar energy source fitted along the line.
The electricity produced feeds into the line's infrastructure, for lighting, signals and in-train power points, said Frederic Sacre, spokesman for Infrabel, which runs the rail network.
"By using electricity generated on-site, we eliminate energy losses and transport costs," said Steven De Tollenaere, head of project developers Enfinity, which leans on state subsidies backing energy use that meets clean climate goals.
The company hopes the project will allow it to develop new installations in the United States and other parts of the world, citing train hangars as ideal sites for such charging points in the future.
Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite details HERE
Valere
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