The new hybrid equipment at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville, reduces rail diesel emissions at the port by 25 percent.
The two new hybrid locomotives were dedicated on Aug. 7. The port is located on the Ohio River, across from Louisville, KY.
MG Rail, the Ports of Indiana, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Managemen (IDEM) partnered to secure a $200,000 grant through the Clean Ports USA program to purchase new rail equipment. Administered by EPA, Clean Ports USA is an incentive-based, voluntary program designed to reduce emissions from existing diesel engines and non-road equipment at ports.
The new equipment includes two locomotive "slugs" and four auxiliary power units (APUs) that are now being used by MG Rail, the port’s shortline rail operator. A rail “slug” is effectively an electric locomotive with no engine or cab, and is an accessorty to a diesel-electric locomotive. It has wheel assemblies with traction motors but is unable to move under its own power. Slugs are used in situations where pulling power is more important than speed, such as switching operations in rail yards. An APU is an electrical device installed on locomotives that can be plugged in to keep the engine warm when it is shutdown. APUs, also known as "hot-starts," keep fluids heated and circulating in the engine overnight and when it is not in use. This allows for quick startup thus dramatically reducing engine warming and idling times, which provides substantial fuel savings and reduced emissions.
The dedication was called "Slug Fest" and included a locomotive and slug breaking through a ribbon stretched across the railroad tracks.
By using two new rail slugs and four APUs at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville, MG Rail has reduced fuel consumption by more than 16,000 gallons during a six-month trial period — a 23 percent drop in fuel usage. IDEM calculated that the diesel emissions from MG Rail’s switching operations at the port have been reduced by 24.8 percent.
