Alstom celebrates Sustainable Mobility Day on September 19th to focus on the absolute importance of sustainable mobility. This year onwards they aim is to initiate active discussion on this subject in India to makes sure we make our cities smarter.
Why is sustainable mobility necessary?
- Nearly one-third of global CO2 emissions come from the transportation of people and goods. Creating sustainable transportation solutions is one of the greatest challenges facing cities today but also a great opportunity for the low-carbon development of cities.
- By 2030, passenger traffic will exceed 80,000 billion passenger-kilometres—a fifty percent increase—and freight volume will grow by 70 percent globally (World Bank)
- Yet, transport was not endorsed as a distinct global Sustainable Development Goal
- Transport provides a critical enabling environment to support economic and social development necessary to reach the SDGs
Alstom as a forerunner and thought leader in/of sustainable mobility
- Alstom is committed to developing rail products and services that meet environmental priorities in mobility throughout their entire lifecycle, from manufacturing to recycling.
- Over 100 experts dedicated to guaranteeing the environmental performance of solutions
- Trains: up to 95% recyclable and 97% recoverable
- Stresses on Eco-Design: Improve the energy efficiency of rail transport systems; Reduce noise and vibrations; Favour the use of clean, recyclable, and natural raw materials; Reduce air emissions; Facilitate end-of-life management of products, particularly in maintenance activities
- Involvement in the European Union regulation concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH)
- Innovations that make a difference: Weight reduction through composite materials and re-design of parts; Reduced aerodynamic drag; More efficient traction systems, either electric or diesel; Energy-efficient comfort auxiliaries (lighting, heating and air conditioning); Enhanced electrical braking including electrical braking until standstill; Efficient energy storage solutions; Optimised sleep modes
Affiliations that show we care
- Alstom has signed the Sustainable Development Charter drawn up by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP);
- Supports the International Union of Railways (UIC) Low Carbon Rail Transport Challenge, “a commitment to deliver railway solutions which are more energy efficient and attractive such as high performance electrical, diesel and hybrid trains, smart railway systems and modernisation services”
- Member of the Sustainable Low-Carbon Transport Partnership (SLoCaT). The goal is to mobilise global support to promote sustainable, low carbon transport.
- Alstom continues to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) participating in COP21 in Paris, in COP22 in Marrakech. Alstom is also part of the Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) initiative.
- Alstom’s commitment for 2020: reduce energy consumption of its solutions by 20% by 2020. We want our solutions to be considered the reference not just technically or economically but also environmentally
Alstom is committed to developing rail products and services that meet environmental priorities in mobility throughout their entire lifecycle, from manufacturing to recycling.
5 priority areas for eco-design
- Improve the energy efficiency of rail transport systems
- Permanent magnet motors (3% energy savings compared to asynchronous motors)
- Reduce noise and vibrations
- Favour the use of clean, recyclable, and natural raw materials
- Reduce air emissions
- Facilitate end-of-life management of products, particularly in maintenance activities
Innovation for energy efficiency
Alstom continuously strives to improve the environmental-friendly aspects of its products and solutions. Innovation structured through 4 axes: adaptation to the need, energy production and recovery, energy storage, energy management system.
- Weight reduction through composite materials and re-design of parts
- Reduced aerodynamic drag
- More efficient traction systems, either electric or diesel
- Energy-efficient comfort auxiliaries (lighting, heating and air conditioning)
- Enhanced electrical braking including electrical braking until standstill
- Efficient energy storage solutions
- Optimised sleep modes
- New steel wheeled metro designed to reduce energy consumption by more than 20%: more powerful motor, LED lighting, 100% electrical braking, 3% less heavy
- Coradia iLint, a new type of train development: zero emission train equipped with a fuel cell drive, a device that converts energy into electricity through a chemical reaction.
- Ecodriving for energy saving: deploy advisory systems and training capacities for the drivers
Silicon carbide (SIC): SiC traction devices which are made out of high performance power semi-conductors allow high-frequency operations and withstand very high temperatures. These new power traction systems will be smaller in size and will provide better energy efficiency.
Integration in urban environment
Alstom is also developing solutions for a better integration in urban environment to preserve the very heart of a city.
- The only manufacturer with a complete range of catenaryless power-supply solutions for trams to preserve the visual appearance of the city centre or surrounding suburbs.
- SRS, the latest innovative ground-based static charging system was launched in June 2015. It charges the tram in less than 20 sec. when it stops at stations.
- Metro system solution designed to meet constraints of congested cities with Axonis
- Axonis runs mainly on viaducts for a better insertion in the city
- Automated construction solution to minimise duration of installation with Appitrack (4 times faster than conventional processes)
- Attractis, tramway integrated solution: 20% less CO2emissions in construction phase compared to standard tram systems (study with Carbone 4: tramway systems versus alternative urban transport solutions).
- Aptis, emission-free, 100% electric bus
Image Credit : Alstom