A Review of Clean Energy Exploitation for Railway Transportation Systems and Its Enlightenment to China

Jing Teng, Longkai Li, Yajun Jiang and Ruifeng Shi ()
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Jing Teng: School of Control and Computer Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Longkai Li: School of Control and Computer Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Yajun Jiang: School of Control and Computer Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Ruifeng Shi: School of Control and Computer Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-16

Abstract: According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China’s rail system will become fully electrified by 2050. However, in some remote areas with a weak power grid connection, the promise of an electrified railway will be hard to achieve. By replacing conventional fuels with clean and environmentally-friendly energy, overall carbon emissions would be significantly reduced, contributing to the fulfillment of the carbon-neutral commitment. This study reviews clean energy exploitation in the railway transportation system and the distribution of renewable energy sources along the railway lines of China. The evaluation results show that China has huge energy potential. In terms of photovoltaics alone, the annual power generation of China’s high-speed railway is about 170 TWh, meaning that the energy self-consistency rate for high-speed railway can reach 284.84%. Efficient exploitation of clean energy sources for China’s railway transportation system would effectively mitigate anxieties surrounding energy shortages.

Keywords: clean energy; low-carbon transportation operations; railway transportation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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