Choo Choo! Chevron Phillips Chemical Company is adding sophisticated, high-efficiency locomotives that produce 90 percent less air emissions to its rail operations.
Committed to outfitting its domestic polyethylene plants and rail yards with these high-efficiency locomotives through a lease with Locomotive Solutions, Chevron Phillips Chemical plans to have seven "green" locomotives in its fleet by mid-year 2017.
"Industry is constantly looking for ways to meet state and federal air quality standards," said Jerry Jarboe, environmental supervisor at Chevron Phillips Chemical's Baytown facility. "Industry has already made great strides in reducing air emissions over the last decade. Incorporating new technology, such as these high-efficiency locomotives, into our daily operations is just the next step in our already robust environmental practices."
Switcher Locomotives
These new high-efficiency locomotives are called "switcher locomotives" and are used exclusively within plants and rail yards as opposed to larger locomotives that travel across the country. In fact, these new locomotives will transport the new polyethylene produced from the company's US Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project within the Sweeny/Old Ocean Complex.
In addition to an air emissions reduction, these locomotives also reduce fuel consumption compared to similar horsepower locomotives up to 50 percent and provide real-time diagnostics information for operating and maintenance crews.
Powered by Texans
These repowered, repurposed locomotives were able to be built thanks to funding from a Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which can help pay for the replacement or repower of old conventional engines into high-efficiency, low-emission engines. TERP is funded by Texans through several dedicated fees and surcharges, including an added fee to title a vehicle, surcharges on sale or use of heavy-duty diesel vehicles and off-road equipment, and fees on the registration and inspection of certain commercial vehicles TERP funds are then allocated every two years to programs such as these by the Texas Legislature.
"TERP is the single most important tool the state has to achieve meaningful emissions reductions from cars and other mobile sources. Our industry has been strong supporters of TERP and I applaud efforts to extend TERP until the entire state meets attainment," said Texas Chemical Council President Hector Rivero.