The climate line is comprehensive and heavily relies on the JSCo “RZD” Energy Strategy. It encompasses all elements and stages of the transportation process and railway infrastructure development.
A key factor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the balanced development of the company in terms of energy consumption and energy savings.
JSCo “RZD” maintains and constantly improves a system of monitoring, reporting, and controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2017, JSCo “RZD” has been included in the list of companies with state participation involved in implementing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and annually publishes reports on the measures taken and the results achieved as part of the Sustainability Report.
In 2023, state reports on greenhouse gas emissions were submitted for the first time in compliance with the federal legislation.
The assessment of greenhouse gas emissions at JSCo “RZD” in 2023 was based on the Comprehensive Methodology for Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions of JSCo “RZD” (approved by Order of JSCo “RZD” No. 726/r dated March 24, 2023), developed in accordance with Russian guidelines for accounting direct and indirect energy emissions, as well as the methodological guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Indirect energy emissions account for more than half of total emissions, reaching 71% by 2023.
In 2023, the carbon intensity of JSCo “RZD” operations reached 77.03 kg CO2-eq. per 10 thousand gross tonne-kilometers. Currently, this is one of the lowest levels of specific greenhouse gas emissions per unit of work among the world’s largest railway companies. This achievement is largely due to the high degree of electrification of JSCo “RZD” infrastructure, with more than 51% of the total operational length of railways being electrified lines.
The company has been implementing an action plan under the JSCo “RZD” Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program. The most significant contributions come from two areas of activity:
- improving train traffic management methods and technologies;
- optimizing operating modes and modernizing heating systems in stationary power plants.
The transition to new types of rolling stock plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce emissions, JSCo “RZD” procures modern domestic rolling stock with improved environmental performance. Alongside updating the traction fleet with new locomotive models, the company has been implementing projects to create environmentally friendly traction rolling stock.
Work is underway to develop hydrogen-powered shunting and mainline locomotives, passenger trains, and hydrogen production and storage infrastructure.
The company is actively engaged in climate project activities. In 2022, an agreement was signed between JSCo “RZD” and Bauman Moscow State Technical University to create the Bauman GoGreen Consortium. As part of this agreement, the parties made an inventory of measures taken by JSCo “RZD” since 2017, which could potentially be classified as climate projects according to the Russian laws. As a result, a climate project to convert company boiler houses to low-carbon fuel was selected as a pilot project. In 2024, it is planned to complete the development of project and technical documentation, validate the project, and obtain the first carbon units following the verification of the project’s first phase.
PROSPECTS FOR REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
The Energy Strategy of the RZD Holding until 2030 and in the Long Term up to 2035 includes the following initiatives:
- in the field of traction energy:
- large-scale electrification of railway sections;
- transition to natural gas for autonomous locomotives;
- creation of experimental passenger trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells;
- in the field of non-traction energy:
- closure of fuel oil and coal boiler houses, with switching to environmentally friendly energy sources;
- expansion of the use of renewable energy sources.
Implementing energy-saving and energy efficiency projects will enable the company to reduce specific consumption of electricity and diesel fuel for train traction, specific consumption of fuel and energy resources for heat energy supply in boiler houses, wear and tear of heating, water supply, and wastewater systems, as well as losses in heat networks. Continued electrification of major freight and passenger routes will further increase the share of electrical energy and low-carbon energy resources in the fuel and energy balance of JSCo “RZD”.