diesel vs electric 2

8/3/2019 Diesel vs Electric 2

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DIESEL VS ELECTRICTRACTION.

D.KANJILAL


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Economics of TRACTION;DIESEL VS ELECTRIC:

How Competitive are the Diesels ?

Is there a need for further Electrification in

Indian Railways ?


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CONTENTS:

1. INTRODUCTION.

2.BRIEF HISTORY.

3.THE COMPARISON.

4.ELECTRIFICATION OF IR.

5.STATISTICS.

6.EFFICIENCY.

7.THE COST OF ELECTRIC TRACTION.

8.EFFECT ON FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES.

9.ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

10.CONCLUSIONS

11.REFERENCES.


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Railway Electrification isjustified onvarious Grounds

Modernization

Energy Efficiency

Depleting Oil Reserves

Savings in Foreign ExchangeMarginally Capital intensive, but much cheaper

operationally

More Economical

Enables higher speeds and improved throughputHigher hauling capability

Eco-friendly

How true is the above ?


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Electric Traction - 1881

After many decades of satisfactory performance, the steam

engines were to give way to more modern locomotives.

The year 1881 saw the birth of the first electric Railway run

by a German Engineer Werner Van Siemens using both the

rails to carry the current. Finding this a little too dangerous,

Siemens soon adopted the overhead electric wires.


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Diesel Traction - 1912

The diesel engine was invented in the year 1893, by a youngGerman Engineer, called RudolfDiesel. But it was onlynineteen years later, that the first Diesel locomotive cameinto existence.

Since then, diesel traction has grown from strength to

strength. Over 89,000 Diesel locomotives have been

built in the world so far, the General Motors, USA alone

contributing to as many as 56,000 Locomotives.


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Superior Technology -

Diesel or Electric ?

Diesel Traction is a far more recent technology, as

compared to Electric traction, contrary to common

perception.

Railways in Europe and some other advanced countries

had started Electrification many years before the modern

Diesels came on the scene.

In fact, Railways in modern economies like US,Australia,

etc. are de-electrifying including Suburban services.


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Superior Technology -

Diesel or Electric ? - (ii)FACTORS FAVOURING ELECTRIC ENGINES:

1. Simple straightforward technology used.

2. Engine pulls power directly from grid & requires only

X-mer & voltage regulator to get voltage to reqd levels.

3. They are light weight, have no moving parts.

4. Lighter weight contributes to lesser wear & tear on

tracks compared to diesel engines.

5. Produces lesser heat & noise.


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Superior Technology -Diesel or Electric ? - (iii)

FACTORS FAVOURING DIESEL TRACTION:1. Ability to work in all terrains, under all conditions.

2. Capital reqd is less compared to electric traction.

The capital cost of laying 5 to 6 kilometers oftraction wires is equivalent to the cost of a newdiesel locomotive.

3. For same weight they have 10% higher load

hauling capability.

4. No requirement of laying overhead power lines.

5. No disruption in train service due to power failures,dama e to overhead lines.


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World Railways - Status of

ElectrificationRailway Percentage

ElectrifiedU.S.A. 0.9%Canada 0.1%Australia 9.6%China 15.6%France 44%India (BG) 44%

Italy 59%

Sweden 59%Austria 59%Amtrack (USA) 100%

Source : Rail Business Report, 1999


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Electrification on IRIt is often said that

Electrification on IR is hardly 24.5% of total network.

The truth is

Total Network includes BG, MG as well as NG and is

62759 KMs.

Actual BG Route Kilometers are 44383

BG Running Track KMs are 62441

Electrified Running Track KMs - 27946

which is 44.8% of BG Running Track KMs.


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Worlds Stock of Mainline Locomotives

86000 Diesel Locomotives

Europea

n Union

(13%)

Rest of

the

World

(42%)

India

(5%)

China

(10%)

North

America

(26%)

Latin

America

(4%)

27000 Electric Locomotives

Europea

n Union(32%)

Rest of

the

world

(47%)

India

(10%)China

(`10%)

North

America

(0%)

Latin

Americ

a (1%)

Population of Diesel Locos in the World is 3.2 times that of the

Electric locomotives (Source: World Bank Railway Database 2000)


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Electrification on IR (ii)Railway Electrification on the IR was taken up in a big

way in the late 70s, as a knee jerk reaction to the 1974oil crisis.

Central Organisation for Railway Electrification

(CORE) was created to speedily electrify the high

density routes; this task has already been completedin the early 90s. While talking of 1980 Secretarys

report, we have blanked off Gujral Committee

Recommendations and the falling crude prices in later

years.

It is felt that Electrification ofLow density non-viable

and uneconomic routes continues unabated, perhaps

to sustain the organisation.

Time has perhaps come, to pause and examine if the

need for further electrification still persists.


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Energy Efficiency

Sometimes Electric traction is perceived as moreenergy efficient, by wrongly computing the efficiencyfrom the Overhead wire, in stead of from the PrimarySource of Energy, viz., Coal / Oil (used in producing

electricity in power houses)

The energy efficiency of Traction should however becalculated right from the Primary source ofPower,taking into account, losses occurring at every stage.

(For example, in production of Electricity in Power

houses and Transmission and Distribution)


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Energy Efficiency (iii)

Mode of Traction Energy consumedper 1000 GTKM(AUTHORITY:

ASS 1999-2000)

Energyconsumed in

KCAL

RelativeEnergyIndex

Pass Diesel 4.82 42252 1.0

Pass Electric 20.6 66892 1.58Goods Diesel 2.96 25948 1.0

Goods Electric 8.28 26887 1.04

1 kg of HSD used in Diesel Traction = 10500 KCAL

1 KWH of Electricity requires = 2952KCALALLIndia Average Heat Rate in KCAL / KWH

The table proves that Electric traction as energy

efficient is a myth


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Electric Traction -What itcosts the Nation ?

All figures are in MUs (millions of units)

Total Demand of the Country 507216

Actual availability 467400Shortfall 26349Consumption of Railways in2000-01

7308

Avoidable Shortage inflicted bythe Railways

27.7%

Source : Central Electrical Authority(Figures for2000-01)


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Electric Traction -What itcosts the Nation ? (ii)Total Shortfall in Peak LoadCapacity *

10457MW

Requirement of Railways ** 5500 MW

Avoidable Capacity constraintscaused by the Railways

54.1%

* Source : Central Electrical Authority(Figures for2000-01)

** Requirement as computed for2800 Electric locos,assuming Loco Availability (85%), Load factor

(60%) and T & DLosses (22%) etc.


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Every Diesel Loco of4000 HP put on line

adds to the Power Generation Capacity of the

country by 3 MW

Every Electric Loco of 6000 HP put on line

Eats into the Power generation capacity by about 4

to 5M

W *

Deprives 15000 Houses of Electric Power

Adds to use of inefficient small DG sets by Industrial,Agricultural & Domestic sectors

* Taking into account the Locomotive, Transmission

and Distribution Losses.


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Electrify the Railways and

Dieselise the Industry ??In a country where 14.7% villages are yet to

be electrified, can we afford to electrify

Railways ?

The Energy Policy should ideally aim at

replacing inefficient use of Fuel

Electrification replaces a highly efficient Turbo

charged Railway Diesel locomotive with small

sized high inefficient gen-sets resulting in

higher consumption of HSD and pollution.


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Does Electrification save

Foreign Exchange ?Electrification ends up draining the Foreign

exchange, instead of saving it.

The classic case is Ernakulam - Trivandrum

Electrification at Minus 29% rate of return, tapping

Power from a Diesel Power station ofNallalam.

Capital investment in Power plants is mostly by

way of imported equipment.


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To Sum up,It is quite obvious that

Electrification of Railways

is leading to:

Dieselisation of the Industry,

Agriculture and Domestic Sector

Increased Fossil Fuel Consumption

and not Reduction

Higher Outflow of Foreign Exchange

and not savings for the Nation


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Is Electric

Traction only

Marginally Capitalintensive ?


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Is Electric Traction only

marginally Capital intensive ?

The Nation pays

dearly by spending ourscarce Capital to

create this vast

infrastructure and to

sustain it.

On the Diesel traction,

a modest engine is all

that we require.


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Electric Traction is

prohibitively Capital intensive(Rs.In Crores)

Diesel Electric

Loco Cost 3.66 3.79

Cost of OHE perLoco - 3.25Cost ofPower House perLoco(refinery irrelevant)

- 17.85

Cost of transmission /distribution system per loco

16.80

Total Capital Cost 3.66 41.69

Based on prices for the year 1999-20005 km of OHE per locomotive and Rs.65 lakhs /km


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Opportunity Cost ofInvestments in Electrification

Electrified Route 15,398 KMs

Current Cost 10,000 Crores

Interest Cost @ 16% 1,601 Crores

The interest cost alone can finance CIF value of the

Total HSD consumed by IR

The Capital Investment in Electrification can buy 2734

Diesel locos almost the same number that we have

today*@Average Current Price Rs.63 Lakhs perKM


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Study by LRDSSConclusionsHP to Load Ratio of 1.5 - Most beneficial & Cost effective.

This, of course, pertains to sections near saturation. On

Passenger dominant sections, HP to Load Ratio >2 for

Diesel also. Further overpowering not recommended. -

Benefit insignificant.On Single Line sections, gain under Electric traction is

low. (Tract & Other reasons limit the speed

improvement). HP to train load ratio is not a traction

specific issue.Positive impact of Electric traction on Freight dominant

double line sections where HP to trailing Load ratio is low.

- 12 - 16% higher line capacity

This recommendation of course is not traction specific but

only HP specific.


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Environment Issues

Power for Electric Loco comes from

eitherDiesel based Power station with same level of

pollution as Diesel loco

Or from Coal based Thermal station whose Green

House gases emission is 26% more than Diesel loco

(UNDP Study) Contrary to popular perception,Electric traction is more polluting than Diesel traction.


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Electric Loco- Environmentfriendly - Is that really so ??

One Electric Loco of 5000 HP requires 4.2MW of

Power.

One MW ofPower requires 10 Tonnes of Coal per

day

And at 40%Ash content, generates 4 Tonnes ofCoalAsh per day.

Source: Central ElectricityAuthority Annual Report

1998-99

= 16 Tonnes of coal Ash per day


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ConclusionsElectric Vs Diesel debate is not an issue ofDepartmental

dominance but Economic survival.

Electrification of High Density Traffic Route (49.72 GMT and

above) is not being questioned.

There is no pressing need for electrifying remaining

sections when Railways are facing Financial Disaster.

Electrification on low density traffic routes is not feasibleeconomically.

Contrary to common perception electric traction contributes

more to pollution on a cumulative basis than diesel traction.


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REFERENCES:

Rail Business Report, 1999

World Bank Railway Database 2000

The Economics of Railway Traction by Dr. J. Majumdar (Mcgraw Hill & Co.)

CEA Figures.

Central ElectricalAuthority(figures 2000-2001)

CAG report NO.9 of2000.

Central ElectricityAuthorityAnnual Report 1998-99

ASS Published by Ministry of Railways (1994-95 to 1999-2000)

Boards rate contract dt.12.1.2001

diesel vs electric 2

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