Canadian National Railway is testing two natural gas-fired locomotives in Alberta's oilsands region to see if it's feasible to switch from diesel to a fuel that's cheap, plentiful and relatively clean.
The retrofitted diesel locomotives will run along the 480-kilometre corridor between the Edmonton area and Fort McMurray. Fuelling and maintenance will take place in Edmonton, where a lot of oilsands crude is processed and sent to market in pipelines.
Energy Conversion Inc., a U.S. company that's sup-plying the conversion kits, says the move will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 70 per cent. The group expects to test the new engines in 2013 and test the prototypes in 2014.
