Implementing the joint UIC/UNIFE Technical Recommendation TecRec 100_001 “Specification and verification of energy consumption for railway rolling stock” was the leitmotif of the UIC training and disseminating workshop “Energy Efficiency and Procurement” in Cologne, Germany on 30 March, 2011. The event was a joint initiative by UIC’s Rail System and Sustainable Development Departments. Representatives from several European Train Operating Companies (SNCF, DSB, DB, SBB and NS) met and discussed how the energy efficiency aspect could be integrated into the procurement of rolling stock.
The meeting, jointly chaired by Henning Schwarz and Enno Wiebe (UIC), started with an overview about the past and ongoing energy efficiency related to European activities such as Railenergy, Energy Billing and Metering, among others. Mads Bergendorff (Macroplan and formerly Railenergy project manager on behalf of UIC) gave an overview of the outcome of Railenergy and gave the participants an insight into the work behind the scenes.
The FP 6 project Railenergy delivered two TecRecs at the end of its four years. The first one, TecRec 100_001 “Specification and verification of energy consumption for railway rolling stock”, is already publically available at www.tecrec-rail.org. This TecRec enables comparison to be made between energy saving potentials for railway rolling stock of different design solutions at the stage of procurement for new rolling stock. The second Railenergy achievement TecRec 400_001 “Specifications for reversible DC substations”, will provide functional specifications for the aforesaid electric infrastructure component after UIC/UNIFE approval foreseen in summer 2011.
One major part of the workshop was the presentation of two case studies by SBB and SNCF. Markus Halder from SBB reported on the procurement of new rolling stock for the SBB fleet i.e. regional traffic double-decker trains and long distance traffic double deck trains. Markus Halder underlined that the use of the TecRec 100_001 firstly facilitates energy efficient procurement; secondly it allows decisions to be taken on the basis of Life Cycle Costs, and thirdly sets a clear incentive for industry to provide innovative solutions and finally ensures the most energy efficient design of new rolling stock for the intended service.
Philippe Clément from SNCF stressed that his company’s focus for energy efficiency in the procurement process is more on performance requirements rather than on energy efficiency requirements. SNCF has clearly identified the need for harmonised energy efficiency performances in order to enable comparison with the best of class and previous trains on the one hand and to increase the visibility of the energy consumption subject in new rolling stock projects on the other.
The workshop concluded with a common understanding of further implementation of the TecRec 100_001 and to set up a joint training workshop with UNIFE to discuss the right use of the common standard in the procurement process. All members underlined the need to continue the dissemination and training for the TecRec 100_001 as this has been identified as an important and powerful tool for procuring energy efficient rolling stock.
