More than 70% of all the world's railway locomotives are powered by diesel engines and 77% of these locomotives in Europe are at least 30 years old. Despite high inefficiencies of those engines, their good reliability record and the significant capital investments for new power units have prevented quicker churn in the market. The main drivers for the procurement of new diesel locomotives are new emission standards and rising demand for energy-efficient solutions. But new locomotives come at a hefty cost. To stay competitive, dual fuel technology is one of the most attractive solutions for locomotive operators. Shunter locomotive operators can reach estimated payback time in 2.5 years and for mainline locomotive payback period can be reached in less than 2 years. The NOx emissions using dual fuel solution in CNG mode (Compressed Natural Gas - naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane) is up to 90% lower in comparison to diesel fuel operation. CO_2 Emissions are likewise reduced by approximately 60-80% if Bio-CNG (methane produced from organic waste and then compressed; very similar qualities to CNG) is used. Emissions of SOx are almost zero and mainly depend on the quality of the pilot fuel used.
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