Houston, Tex.-based HyOrc Corporation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cincinnati, Ohio-based Zeltech (Zero-Emission Locomotive Technologies LLC) to jointly develop alternative fuel-powered locomotives for freight rail use in the United States.
“The collaboration will focus initially on a California-based pilot project, where the partners plan to engage with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and other agencies for grant support,” HyOrc reported Nov. 10. “The program aims to demonstrate HyOrc’s patented external-combustion powertrain, a zero-emission, multi-fuel system that can operate on hydrogen, natural gas, or renewable fuels, offering freight operators a cost-effective path to decarbonization.”
HyOrc is described as a “clean energy company” that “develops and commercializes patented hydrogen-capable combustion and waste-to-fuel systems for the shipping, rail, and off-grid power sectors”; its core technologies are said to be green methanol production from municipal waste and engine systems for transport and power.
Zeltech offers a line of battery-electric switchers and industrial units, which are built on existing diesel-electric cores (trucks, frames, cabs, air compressor and brake systems) and use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry lithium-ion batteries; included are 4-axle endcab switchers and road switchers (from 1,000 hp to 2,300 hp) and 6-axle road switchers (from 2,000 hp to 3,000 hp).
“This partnership marks HyOrc’s entry into the North American rail market,” HyOrc President Andrea Magalini said in the announcement. “Zeltech’s rail expertise and our proven powertrain technology create a strong foundation for clean, scalable freight transport.”
“Zeltech’s mission has always been to develop environmentally friendly zero-emission locomotives,” Zetech President and Owner Tom Mack told Railway Age on Nov. 14. “The use of the HyOrc engine technology will give railroads a zero-emission longer-range alternative to straight battery-electric locomotives without having to move to expensive fuel cell technology. The HyOrc engine’s support of multiple fuels, including hydrogen, renewable natural gas, LPG, and even alcohol fuels such as e-methanol, fits right in with Zeltech’s goal for producing the lowest maintenance, clean locomotives, using 100% renewable fuel options. We look forward to offering a range of locomotive models that will fit with North American railroad strategies and requirements, while offering the widest choice of fuels for hybrid locomotives for longer routes.”
The technology, he noted, could be scaled for switching or passenger rail operations.
