Railways Africa - Issue 1:2017

ROLLING STOCK PERWAY INFRASTRUCTURE MINING OPERATORS LOGISTICS ISSUE 1:2017

GE Transportation as a Strategic and Value Adding Partner to Africa

FEATURE:

ENERGY SHAPING RAILWAYS

REPORT:

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

UPDATE:

ETHIOPIA CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT MASTER PLAN

T H E A U T H O R I TAT I V E A F R I C A N R A I LWAY P U B L I C AT I O N

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Transnet Freight Rail is investing in the positive progress of the South African economy.

Investment programmes in rolling stock and infrastructure, together with increased volume growth, skills development and training all equate to a South African economy on the move, in the right direction.

delivering freight reliably

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

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One cannot deny that 2016 was an eventful year for the African continent – one that presented some seemingly insurmountable challenges as well as enormous opportunities, investment and growth. The railway industry in Africa has followed a similar trajectory – with an equal measure of challenges along with huge reinvestment and growth.

Global market factors, such as weak commodity prices and the slowing of international trade in the wake of the global economic recession, have placed many African rail operators and suppliers under severe pressure. At the same time, there have been a number of new railways commissioned in 2016. Operators have placed orders for new rolling stock, rehabilitated old infrastructure and signed ground-breaking deals with international funders and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), driving Africa’s railway sector forward.

Coming off the back of the global economic crisis and subsequent recession, the World Bank had a somewhat grim outlook for growth in commodity-dependant economies during the 2015/16 financial period¹. In response to weak commodity prices, impending and continuing droughts and pockets of regional instability – economic growth in Africa slowed to 3% in 2015, (down from 4.5% in 2014) and market analysts remained pessimistic, predicting growth rates of a mere 2.5% for the 2015/16 period.

Despite cynicism from various quarters, some African economies have shown remarkable resilience during the course of 2016, reporting increasing levels of economic activity and growth, particularly in East Africa³. In its African Economic Outlook 2016, the African Development Bank (AfDB) estimated GDP growth rates of 3.7% by the final quarter of 2016 – well above World Bank predictions. Notably, Africa’s average GDP growth has remained ahead of global rates (3.1%), and significantly ahead of both the USA and European Union (EU). In addition, the latest World Bank Quarterly Report shows signs of recovery in global commodity markets, with increases in energy prices (3%), coal prices (30%) and small gains in non-energy commodities such as metals and agricultural produce by the final quarter of 2016.

According to the latest World Bank Commodities Markets Outlook, published in January 2017, the Bank is forecasting strong gains for industrial commodities such as energy and metals in 2017, due to tightening supply and strengthening demand. The Bank is raising

its metals price forecast to an increase of 11% from the 4% rise, anticipated in its October outlook, on further tightening of supply and strong demand from China and advanced economies.

While it would be naïve to expect African economies to perform at pre-global economic crisis levels in the short to medium term – it seems that markets are starting to shift in Africa’s favour once more; a development that many decision makers in Africa are well positioned to take advantage of in the coming year. We are, however, under no illusion about the financial pressure African economies are under, specifically in meeting their debt obligations.

One of the most significant factors in Africa’s continuing journey towards economic and political stability remains the continent’s awareness of the need for infrastructure development in the energy and transport sectors as well as increased activity in manufacturing. The African Union (AU) has placed infrastructure development at the heart of their 50-year development plan, titled Agenda

Direct foreign investment, strategic government planning and the growing number of public-private partnership deals continue to drive the growth of Africa’s railways forward, creating the opportunity for a prosperous future. https://za.linkedin.com/in/phillippadean phillippa@railwaysafrica.com

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RAILWAYS AFRICA

EDITOR’S COMMENT

One of the most significant factors in Africa’s continuing journey towards economic and political stability remains the continent’s awareness of the need for infrastructure development in the energy and transport sectors as well as increased activity in manufacturing.

2063, which represents a global strategy to optimise the use of Africa’s natural resources for the benefit of all Africans.

Included in the AU’s development plan, is a vision to build the infrastructure needed to deliver sustainable energy, intra-continental railway networks and telecommunication services on a never before seen scale. While sourcing the funding necessary to implement projects of this nature remains a challenge, finance from development aid agencies, foreign direct investment (FDI), publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) and direct government spending are all sources that are being ploughed into closing Africa’s infrastructure gap. As a result, Africa was home to some of the world’s largest infrastructure development projects in 2016.

Looking back on 2016, it is clear that the relationship between China and Africa continues to deepen, with China extending $US46 billion in direct investment

and commercial loans during the course of the 2014/15 financial year. At the Johannesburg Summit for the Forum on ChinaAfrica Cooperation, held on 10 December 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to a further $US60 billion in loans and direct investment on the continent for the 2016/17 period. As a result, there seems no end to the list of projects in the energy, transport and related sectors currently being delivered by Chinese construction and civil engineering firms across the continent.

While one cannot deny that China dominated Africa’s railway sector during 2016, we have seen a number of contracts being realised between OEMs from the European Union and America during the course of the year.

In closing, 2016 was a year punctuated by both highs and lows. Rail operators that depend on mining and energy markets to achieve the payloads required to attain their profitability targets have felt the

pressure of the global recession on an intimate level. Railway suppliers to the African market have had to absorb the knock-on effect of austerity measures implemented by operators trying to protect their profit margins. Times are tough.

But, 2017 is here, and rail continues to dominate as one of the most important factors in achieving the continent’s development goals in the long term.

Fortunately, direct foreign investment, strategic government planning and the growing number of public-private partnership deals continues to drive the growth of Africa’s railways forward, creating the opportunity for a prosperous future.

Be creative, and you will find your pot of gold!

Phillippa Dean Railways Africa™ - Editor

Railways AfricaTM is published weekly and sent to subscribers of the Railways Africa™ News Express. Register online to keep up-to-date and informed. www.railwaysafrica.com/register

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The World Bank Africa Overview, last updated September 2016: http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview The World Bank, Africa Annual Report 2015/16 The African Development Bank, Africa Economic Outlook 2016: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/AEO_2016_Report_Full_English.pdf www.railwaysafrica.com 3

RAILWAYS AFRICA

RAILWAYS AFRICA PUBLISHER Rail Link Communications cc

This issue: Highlights

EDITOR Phillippa Dean

GE TRANSPORTATION AS A STRATEGIC AND VALUE ADDING PARTNER TO AFRICA

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A GIANT INFRASTRUCTURE, AFRICA & YOU

FEATURE

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GE Transportation As a Strategic And Value Adding Partner To Africa Integral to developing industrial and economic strength in any modern economy is an efficient, functional rail system that enables the movement of heavy equipment and freight across territories. Africa could learn from international models, where railways are privatised or operated under long-term concessions, with governments providing the regulatory framework to achieve success.

President and chief executive officer of General Electric (GE) Transportation Africa and GE South Africa, Thomas Konditi says that governments should invest in the physical railway lines (the long-term infrastructure) and then focus their energies on creating the efficiencies that attract private sector investment, recognising that the private sector has the business acumen, skills and experience to promote economic growth and development. The underlying principle to this approach is that strengthening a country’s capacity, particularly their infrastructure and transportation systems, is integral in driving growth in developing markets.

GE’s Legacy As A Strategic Partner In Africa GE Transportation has more than 70 years’ worth of experience in the African market, and the company is strategically positioned to add economic value through localisation, skills transfer, operational efficiencies as well as in delivering leaders in the industries that underpin growth.

“Africa has seen a renaissance in the rail sector over the past decade and while the recent commodity depression has dampened the pace of that investment, there is a growing realisation that for Africa to industrialise and diversify its economies, the continent requires a rail network to transport heavy goods and bulk commodities over long distances at a low cost,” Konditi states.

GE marketing and market development director for Africa, Edward Baiden, adds that: “Within the locomotive market, GE offers its clients quality technology and localisation policies that effectively translate into building and supporting local suppliers to participate in the manufacturing value chain, as well as providing the technical assistance needed to minimise downtime and maximise efficiencies.”

“The dream of an interconnected Africa, from Cape to Cairo, still exists and as each country upgrades their infrastructure, that ideal takes a step

closer to being realised. GE has the capacity and expertise to support the growth of the rail industry in Africa,” Baiden says.

Building Local Capability One Country At A Time In 2008, GE Transportation formed a joint venture company with the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), which became GE South Africa Technologies (GESAT). GE initiated their partnership with South African state-owned railway operator Transnet when GESAT secured its first order of 100 GE Model C30ACi locomotives from Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) in December of 2009.

The contract formed a part of Transnet’s ambitious fleet renewal programme, which is an integral component of the South African government’s commitment to

“Africa has seen a renaissance in the rail sector over the past decade and while the recent commodity depression has dampened the pace of that investment, there is a growing realisation that for Africa to industrialise and diversify its economies, the continent requires a rail network to transport heavy goods and bulk commodities over long distances at a low cost.”

Thomas Konditi, president and chief executive, GE Transportation Africa and GE South Africa

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One of the 233 GE Evolution Series locomotives, which is a part of Transnet’s 1064 locomotive procurement programme.

Enhanced tractive effort with a 548 KN starting and 460 KN continuous effort Ergonomically designed cab for long-haul operations Uncompromised tractive effort in a lightweight, narrowgauge application 12-cylinder 4,200 HP GEVO 12 engine applied in low clearance profile to meet local infrastructure requirements High-adhesion fabricated bogies CCB II electronic air-brake system with vacuum

Model ES40ACi No. of Axles

6

Weight:

Maximum 291,000 lbs (132 tonnes)

MT./Axle—Maximum

48,500 lbs/axle / (22 tonnes/axle)

Track Gauge

42" (1,067mm)

Clearance

BE 97-02

Emissions

EU IIIA

Horsepower (Gross)

4,200 HP (3,132Kw)

Horsepower (Tractive)

4,000 HP (2,983Kw)

STE (lbf /Kn)

123,200 lbf (548Kn)

CTE (lbf /Kn)

103,400 lbf (460Kn)

Maximum Speed

61 MPH (100Kph)

Max. Dyn. Braking Effort

64,750 lbf (288Kn)

Total Fuel

(Gal) 2,181 Gal (8,256L)

Useable Fuel

(Gal) 1,949 Gal (7,377L)

Engine Model

GEVO 12

Country Used

South Africa

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FEATURE invest R300 billion in infrastructure and rolling stock over a sevenyear period¹. South Africa’s investment in railway infrastructure is intended to boost industrial production, encourage direct foreign investment and create greater economic diversity.

GE’s partnership with Transnet has proven to be an investment in job creation, economic advancement and infrastructure growth on both sides of the Atlantic. To fulfil the requirements of the contract, GE had to ensure that more than 30% of the assembly process was completed locally and that the project included skills transfer to local teams. The first 10 out of the 100 locomotives ordered were delivered complete, from the USA. However, the remaining 90 were provided in kit form for local assembly at Transnet’s Koedoespoort facility in Pretoria, South Africa.

The realisation of the localisation aspects of the contract demonstrates the shared commitment between parties to grow and revitalise South Africa’s rail sector, and has undoubtedly strengthened the long-standing relationship between GE and Transnet. This is evidenced by the fact that the successful and efficient delivery of TFR’s initial order has resulted in a second order of 103

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“Among the key strategic contributions that the partnership has delivered to South Africa is localisation and skills development in the rail transportation sector.”

Zeenith Ebrahim, chief executive officer, GE South Africa Technologies (GESAT)

additional units, to be manufactured under the same terms.

The chief executive officer of GESAT, Zeenith Ebrahim, highlights the importance of the localisation aspects of the agreement by stating that: “Among the key strategic contributions that the partnership has delivered to South Africa is localisation and skills development in the rail transportation sector.”

Ebrahim indicates that the journey has not been without challenges, particularly supplier liquidity and access to raw materials, however, she states that: “Our partners have walked the journey with us, which has kept the project running according to plan.” The delivery of TFR’s order is currently on schedule and will be delivered by the final quarter of 2018.

GESAT has provided thousands of hours’ worth of training to their South African workforce and has spent more than R2 billion in preferential procurement, as part of their Competitive Supplier Development Programme (CSDP).

Ebrahim confirms that during the manufacturing process of the current locomotive order, the company is actively seeking further contracts for the continued utilisation of Transnet’s Koedoespoort facility in Pretoria. “There are opportunities for African countries to use national demand to boost their economies, but key to realising that dream is buy-in from the various governments involved,” Ebrahim states.

Today, GESAT is delivering in excess of 50% local content on their most recent order of 233GE Evolution Series locomotives, which is a part of Transnet’s procurement of 1064 locomotives from various OEMs.

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FEATURE

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This is particularly relevant as many African countries are dealing with challenges emanating from different rail gauge widths, a hangover from the colonial era when Anglophone and Francophone countries invested in various rail gauges, which makes the seamless transportation of people and goods across African territories impossible under current conditions.

Ushering In A New Dawn Of World Class Technology On the African Continent The GE type C30ACi locomotive has proven to be the best-suited model to deliver on the South African Government and TFR’s goals.

The locomotive has introduced many ‘firsts’ to South Africa’s locomotive market, including the fact that it was the first AC dieselelectric locomotive to be introduced in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the first locomotive to meet the UIC II emissions standards of the International Union of Railways (UIC). Most significantly, the GE type C30ACi is first GE locomotive to be fully assembled on African soil.

Sustainable Railway Technology For Southern Africa The GE Evolution series locomotive is powered by GE Transportation’s 12-cylinder diesel engine. The

Evolution series engine produces the same 4,400HP as its 16-cylinder predecessor, but with greater fuel efficiency. This 45 degree, 12 cylinder, 4 stroke, turbocharged engine provides efficiency, lower emissions and extended overhaul intervals.

The engine uses enhanced cooling and higher-strength materials, which dramatically improves reliability and allows for future increases in power and efficiency. The Evolution series locomotive meets the most stringent emissions standards including USA EPA Tier 3² and EU IIIA³.

The GE type C30ACi locomotive, ordered by various operators in the SADC region, has the capacity to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,500 metric tonnes annually, which is equivalent to eliminating the emissions from 310 cars on South Africa’s roads. Three C30ACi locomotives are able to haul a load that would require four older models, which could reduce annual diesel fuel consumption by up to 600,000 litres under typical operating conditions.

Growing Africa For Africa – Regional Integration At The Heart Of Development GE continues to deliver to the broader Southern Africa market, with Mozambique currently taking

delivery of 100 GE locomotives to transport coal and freight, while Angola has taken delivery of the first 15 of its 100-order of GE locomotives, to offer countries in western and central Africa a strengthened logistics corridor.

In addition, Namibia is taking delivery of six locomotives to boost its logistics corridor and drive economic growth.

GE Transportation regional services director Festus Ayeni states that: “It is invigorating to see significant growth opportunities for rail across Africa. Traditionally, rail has been viewed as outdated, colonial infrastructure, however, governments are increasingly recognising rail as the backbone of transport logistics that can boost economies and move goods and people effectively and efficiently.”

This attitude change has come as African government leaders travel internationally, particularly within the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations, and are exposed to the impact rail has played in economic growth within the bloc.

Ayeni points out that India has invested in 1000 new locomotives and China has purchased an additional 700, while Russia has the world’s largest rolling stock fleet, with 25,000 locomotives driving its economy.

The GESAT team, delivering in excess of 50% local content towards the class 44.

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FEATURE

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“Consequently, as governments mature and realise the value that rail brings to a country’s economy, there are substantial opportunities for investing in rail infrastructure and educating customers on how to revive the continent’s railways,” Ayeni states.

Ayeni goes further to explain that GE is investing in its own infrastructure and service teams to ensure the delivery of after-sales customer support. The company has boosted its support staff contingent to 50 members and has invested in new equipment, effectively bringing their technical expertise to grow individual gross domestic products (GDPs). GE Transportation aims to double its support team by year-end depending on its success in winning and closing several open deals.

However, Ayeni recognises the challenges in growing transportation infrastructure in Africa, particularly given that most economies on the continent are commodity-driven and thus affected by downturns in world commodity prices. Linked to this, is the high cost of infrastructure development, limited government budgets and difficulties accessing the necessary capital. In response

industry has also been viewed very negatively by young professionals in engineering fields and therefore does not attract young engineers.

GE is actively recruiting young engineers into the transportation sector with more than half the company’s employees being under 25 years of age.

Ayeni’s sentiments are echoed by the president and CEO for GE Transportation in Africa, Thomas Konditi, who adds that the group is gaining traction in the managed service agreement concept, which guarantees the maintenance and running of its locomotives.

For example, as part of an agreement, GE Transportation ensures that their locomotives will be up and running and will have a predefined level of availability and reliability to minimise downtime and assist clients to achieve maximum output from their investment. A service agreement contract, which can extend up to 12 years after a purchase, draws on GE Transportation’s expertise to calculate the optimal maintenance cycle and limit unplanned failures on the line.

“It is invigorating to see such significant growth opportunities for rail across Africa. Traditionally, rail has been viewed as out-dated, colonial infrastructure, however, governments are increasingly recognising rail as the backbone of transport logistics that can boost economies and move goods and people effectively and efficiently.”

Festus Ayeni, regional services director, GE Transportation

to some of these obstacles, GE is working proactively with a number of governments and private sector players to build partnerships that will enable further development of infrastructure on the continent.

Ayeni adds that rail infrastructure is typically state-owned, but that governments have more important priorities than investing in this infrastructure. The railway

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However, Konditi states that the key to GE’s service excellence and core initiatives remains the company’s commitment to skills transfer, as it is through this process that GE Transportation is able to assist organisations to gain operational competence and internal strength.

When working within any African country where there is a functioning rail system, GE Transportation

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believes that there are a number of crucial areas in which it can add value. Beyond providing new locomotives, Konditi says that the group has the financial expertise to assist clients with acquiring and recapitalising their rolling stock.

Additionally, Konditi states that service partnerships ensure that customers keep their locomotives operating efficiently, while digital linkage, the ability to analyse data and operate the locomotives at optimal speed, efficiency and fuel consumption levels, is already paying dividends in Mozambique.

One practical application of the digitisation that GE is able to offer their clients is evidenced in digitally connecting locomotives to a company’s network. As a result, locomotives can be programmed to operate at optimal efficiencies. For example, if a receiving depot cannot accept a locomotive for a period of time, the network can slow down the train’s speed to accommodate for the delay and therefore saves fuel and prevents backlogs.

Konditi states that this process ensures that operations are both more efficient and reduces unplanned maintenance problems.

Data of this nature also helps GE Transportation to build improved, more resilient equipment, as the company has access to critical information, such as the most common equipment failures, among others.

He says that the final element is the ability to apply transportation technology to power applications.

Specifically, packaging technology for stationary use. Konditi cites Malanje, in north-east Angola, where the facility required power and has access to diesel, and therefore, GE’s locomotive technology was used to develop a large-scale diesel generation plant. This approach can now be replicated throughout the continent, where customers have access to fuel.

The six-unit installation in Malanje powers nearby towns as well as the local electricity grid, while in Ghana, mines that are too far from the national grid and require between 10 to 12MW have found this application to be a sound solution.

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“Creative solutions are the cornerstone of economic growth and development, and GE Transportation has the experience and expertise to respond to individual country’s problems to boost their rail efficiencies,” Konditi says.

Currently, the group is working in Zambia to modernise existing locomotives that are based on technology dating back to the 1980s, to efficiency levels that are more in line with current standards. Konditi says that buying new locomotives is not always feasible, but by working together, GE Transportation can provide training and services that contribute holistically to economic growth and development.

“GE Transportation strives to be a value-adding partner for its customers – there has to be a strategic benefit to the client beyond the sales transaction of the equipment. We strive to be a partner throughout the entire transportation process,” he concludes.

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FEATURE

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A testament to this is GE and Transnet’s recent partnership on digital technology, where the two companies plan to further diversify their relationship to digitise Africa’s transport sector.

CEO of GE, Jeff Immelt said: “The digital opportunity for industry is now. At GE, we have embraced data and analytics, and see it as a driving force, transforming our operations and those of our customers globally.”

Their proposed plan will deliver a digital solution that will seamlessly connect shippers and transport operators, making it dramatically easier for a company to understand pricing and capacity on the network, plan a shipment, and get their goods to market.

GE Transportation is also sharing leadership best practice with their customers through its Leadership for Customers (LFC) programme, which was held on 31 January to 2 February.

The solution will connect shippers and transport operators by providing real-time, data-driven insights on the status of shipments.

It will take laborious processes, such as payments, customs and inspections from paper to the digital environment. The system creates an on-demand solution for transporting freight, inspired by consumer on-demand transportation models.

Speaking at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, the chairman and

The LFC programme is designed to strengthen the organisational capacity of clients and to build stronger relationships. The programme was attended by 50 customers from across sub-Sahara Africa.

Mr Mamadali Gulamo of Corredor Logístico Integrado do Norte (CLN) Mozambique, who participated in the event, stated: “This experience feels like a new start for CLN Mozambique, and has taught me that we could learn from GE in prioritising customer engagement.”

South African National Treasury (2012) National Budget presentation, Chapter 7: Infrastructure: http://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/ national%20budget/2012/review/chapter7.pdf USA Tier 1-3 Standards set the minimum requirements and industry standards for emission controls and energy efficiencies for non-road diesel engines – DieselNet: https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/us/nonroad.php EU IIIA: The EU implemented the AIII standard for non-road diesel engines in 2011, aimed at setting minimum requirements for emission controls and improvements in the energy efficiency of off-road diesel engines. – Power Engineering International: http://www. powerengineeringint.com/articles/print/volume-18/issue-8/features/diesel-engines-getting-ready-for-stage-iiia.html

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FEATURE: ENERGY

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FEATURE: ENERGY

ENERGY – Shaping The Railways Of Tomorrow Renewed interest in railway technology has gained traction over the past decade, especially in light of the adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which highlight the need to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale to contain the negative impact of climate change for future generations.

According to the most recent Global Sustainable Transport Outlook Report, issued by the UN secretary-general’s highlevel advisory group on sustainable transport in August 2016, investments in low emission technology leads to fuel savings and, therefore, lower operational costs for railway operators, as well as significantly reducing CO2 emissions emanating from the global transport sector.

The report estimates that efforts to promote sustainable transport could result in global savings of up to $US70 trillion by 2050. In addition, the report projects that a move to sustainable rail-based freight and passenger transport, which includes integrated port terminals, well-planned airports and harmonised standards and regulations for efficient border crossings, could produce a global GDP increase of up to $US2.6 trillion.

Railway operators across the world are therefore looking to international railway original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for innovations that improve the energy efficiency of rolling stock and technology that contributes towards more sustainable – and by extension more cost effective operations. The world’s leading rolling stock manufacturers are increasingly integrating greener technology into modern railway conceptualisation and design – and are even coming up with more sustainable, energy efficient ways to manufacture their products for the global market.

In line with the needs of customers in the modern railway industry, emission control, fuel efficiency, recuperative braking technology, energy storage systems and the migration to cleaner energy sources, among other innovations, are factors that are receiving considerable attention in the design and engineering of railway assets and associated products.

Increasingly, energy is becoming a primary factor in shaping the rail industry – be it as a result of the potential that rail has in answering the challenge of reducing our global carbon footprint through sustainable transport solutions or by providing the means to transport crude oil and liquid fuel across continents or coal to energy plants.

Solar panelled coaches to wind-powered electric trains, the hyperloop and other advances in meeting the challenges of greener rail technology will become a regular topic covered in the magazine over the next few years. www.railwaysafrica.com 13

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Harnessing The Power Of Solar Energy According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar power remains one of the most sustainable energy sources on the planet. Sunlight is widely available throughout the world. Therefore supply is guaranteed, and there is no fuel price risk attached. Solar panels emit no greenhouse gases or other pollutants (such as oxides of sulphur and nitrogen) and consume little or no water during operation. While the IEA reports that only 1.05% of the world’s energy was produced by solar panels in 2015, the agency asserts that with the necessary investment, solar power could significantly reduce the world’s dependence on carbon-based fuels and contribute towards stabilising carbon emission related climate change.

Operators, project planners, suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the railway industry are increasingly starting to explore the potential of solar power for use on trains and associated infrastructure.

Here follows a brief – and by no means comprehensive – look at some of the solar powered projects being conceptualised, developed and implemented by the railway industry across the globe.

Solar Canopies In The USA Solar Trains LLC, a start-up business established 1.

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in 2015, is currently developing a proposal to construct solar canopies over railway lines in California and New York to power electric train services. According to Solar Trains LLC, one 300W solar panel is able to supply the energy needed to provide more than 10,000km of a person’s annual train commute. The proposal is still in the concept phase and has not progressed to feasibility study as yet.

Currently, the company provides a range of solar panel solutions, specifically suited to the rail industry, including solar canopies, carports, rooftops and ground-mounted systems for electric train services.

Solar Power Could Reduce Operational Costs In The UK Consulting firm WSP, in partnership with Parsons Brinckerhoff, recently published a white paper for the UK government, focusing on improving value on the country’s rail networks.

Their recommendations included, among others, an analysis of the potential that solar power has to offer railway operators in operational cost savings and income generation.

According to the report, if solar panels were installed along only 50% of the UK’s trackside land, the scheme could generate 2.44GW of electricity, providing approximately 40% of the power currently used by Network Rail to operate the UK’s electric train

services. According to the model proposed by WSP, the capital cost of installing the infrastructure needed to harvest solar power would be £2.9 billion. However, after one year in revenue operation, the £235 million in electricity produced would yield a return on investment of up to 8%, as well as annual savings of up to £30 million for Network Rail. WSP have proposed that a project of this nature would be an attractive investment opportunity for external funders and therefore a viable concept for consideration.

renewable energies to the mix, to make Blackfriars more sustainable.

Solar Powered Stations In The UK

Solar Powered Train Tunnel In Belgium

During the course of upgrades to London’s Blackfriars station in 2011, UK railway operator Network Rail made structural alterations to the Blackfriars Bridge, which was originally built over the Thames in 1886.

According to the project plan, the bridge would be fitted with a new roof and Network Rail, together with First Capital Connect who operates the station, identified the project as an opportunity to include

As a result, UK-based solar energy specialists, Solarcentury, mounted more than 4,400 photovoltaic panels (PV) on the roof of the bridge.

At completion, the project included in excess of 6,000m² of PV panels, which are capable of producing 935,000kWh of power per annum. The power harvested currently provides more than 50% of the station’s energy requirements, while saving 455,000kg in carbon emissions per annum.

The Belgium high-speed railway line that connects Paris and Amsterdam passes through an area of protected forest on its way through Antwerp, Belgium.

In an effort to prevent the need to fell protected trees along this segment of the line, Belgian rail operator Infrabel built a 3.2km long tunnel covering the line, to protect it from falling trees.

Trial run of solar powered passenger coach on India’s Southern Railway Shatabdi Express.

WSP (2015) On Track for Value: A white paper on improving the value of our rail network: http://www.wsp-pb.com/Globaln/UK/Whitepapers/ rail/The%202030%20UK%20Railway%20White%20Paper%20February%202015%20-%20Updated%20-%20med%20res.pdf Santiago Metro, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Metro For more information on the Netherland’s wind-powered metro services, read ‘Dutch Electric Passenger Trains - Now Using 100% Green Energy’ on pg.10 @Craig, Please insert page number of wind article M. Shravanth Vasisht, G.A. Vashista, J. Srinivasan, Sheela K. Ramasesha (2016) Rail coaches with rooftop solar photovoltaic systems: A feasibility study, Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Elsevier; Bangalore, India.

Definition of piezoelectricity: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/piezoelectricity Innowattech, (2010) Harvesting Energy and Data: A stand-alone technology; https://www.iroads.co.il/sites/default/files/mtsgt_1_innowattech_ presentation_-lucy_edery-azulay.pdf

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FEATURE: ENERGY

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In 2011, Infrabel partnered with Belgian renewable energy company, Enfinity to mount 16,000 solar panels atop the tunnel.

The project provides power for trains moving through Antwerp’s NorthSouth junction, providing electricity for signalling and lighting in the section, as well as heating for Antwerp’s Central Station.

Currently, the panels contribute approximately 3.3GWh to the power grid, which is equivalent to the power used by approximately 1,000 homes in the region.

Solar Powered Metro In South America The Santiago Metro is the second largest subway system in South America and provides commuter services for approximately 2.5 million passengers per day². In May 2016, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet announced that Santiago’s mass transit system would be powered almost entirely by

renewable energy sources by the close of 2018.

The announcement follows a power purchasing agreement between the Chilean government and US-based renewable energy company SunPower, an affiliate of the multinational energy corporation Total. According to the contract, SunPower will supply 300GWh of solar generated power per annum to the Metro of Santiago, which will

account for a significant proportion of the railway’s total energy demand.

According to a press statement issued by SunPower in May 2016, once operational, the project will make the Metro of Santiago the first public transport system in the world to be run almost exclusively on renewable energy. However, NS in the Netherlands has beaten the Metro of Santiago to the finish line by launching their 100% wind-powered metro service earlier this year³.

The solar power will be produced at the El Pelícano Solar Project, a solar plant currently under construction in Chile’s La Higuera and Vallenar municipalities. Once the power procurement deal takes effect, the Metro of Santiago will receive 40% of its energy from El Pelícano Solar Project and 18% from wind farms.

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FEATURE: ENERGY Solar-Powered Coaches In India The state-owned railway operator, Indian Railways, recently initiated trial operations of a solarpowered passenger coach on Southern Railway’s Shatabdi Express. The trial is the first phase of a project that will see Indian Railways placing 500 solar-powered coaches into service across the country’s national rail network.

Indian Railways is currently the largest consumer of energy in the country, a situation that the Indian Government hopes to address by implementing the use of renewables for the country’s railway and associated infrastructure by 2020.

The first milestone in the country’s ambitious plan was achieved in December 2016, when Azure Power, a leading independent solar power producer in India, announced the successful installation and operation of a rooftop solar power plant atop the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) head office in New Delhi.

The solar power plant is expected to produce 20MW of solar power by the end of the year, which will be used to power the

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metro’s various stations and offices.

According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore⁴, a coach retrofitted with two flexible solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, running at speeds of 120km/h could generate at least 18kWh of electricity per day, which will be used to power various ancillary systems including lighting, fans, and air-conditioning on the coach. If the technology were applied to the 63,511 coaches currently operated by Indian Railways, Vasisht et al. (2016) estimate that it could result in a diesel saving of 108.5 million litres per annum for the rail operator. In addition to fuel savings, and by extension cost savings, for rail operators, the use of solar-powered coaches could reduce India’s CO2 emissions by 2.9 million tonnes per annum.

India’s National Clean Energy Fund has committed to subsidise the first 500 solarpowered coaches in light of the project’s potential to further India’s national renewable energy programme.

Solar Powered Sleepers From Italy Italian start-up GreenRail, founded by Italian railway entrepreneur Giovanni Maria De Lisi in 2012, has patented a new railway sleeper design that, according to the company’s website, uses a combination of recycled and traditional materials to produce a higher level of performance at a reduced cost. The company is working in close collaboration with a number of leading research institutes in Europe. Following extensive research and design programmes, GreenRail claim that their sleeper design will reduce noise levels, vibration and maintenance cost for railway operators while being more eco-friendly than the traditional reinforced concrete or wooden sleepers currently being used across the European Union (EU).

By incorporating the latest energy recuperative technology, the GreenRail sleeper is capable of capitalising on energy produced as a result of a train moving over the permanent way. This is achieved through the inclusion of piezoelectric technology inside the sleeper.

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First used in the rail industry by Israeli company Innowattech, piezoelectricity is the ability of certain materials to generate an alternating current (AC) voltage when subjected to mechanical stress or vibration⁵ ⁶ - such as one sees between a rail and the underlying sleeper when a train passes over a section of track. One can harvest this energy using piezoelectric pads (or in the case of GreenRail, receptors inside the sleeper) positioned under the permanent way that connects to external accumulators situated in the rail reserve via cables.

This energy can then be redistributed to power railway infrastructure, making the operation of trains self-sustaining.

In addition to incorporating piezoelectric capabilities into their sleeper design, GreenRail, in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology, is currently investigating the inclusion of photovoltaic modules into their sleepers. If achieved, the combination of solar and piezoelectric energy harvesting could revolutionise the way that railways are powered in the future.

Dutch Electric Passenger Trains - Now Using 100% Green Energy Dutch railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has announced that 100% of its electric passenger trains are now operated using wind power, making it one of the leading carbon-neutral operators in the world.

In 2015, NS signed a contract with international energy company Eneco, for the supply of electricity by means of the company’s state-ofthe-art wind farms, situated across the European Union, including in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Belguim, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK), among others. In terms of the contract, Eneco committed to bringing a number of new wind farms on-line by 2017, to ensure that NS had the power needed to maintain operations, without tapping 16 www.railwaysafrica.com

into existing sustainable energy supply. Since the agreement was reached, Eneco has delivered new wind farms in the North Sea and the Noordoostport, in the Netherlands, as well as facilities in Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom to supply the railway operator with carbon-neutral energy for its passenger trains.

According to the operator’s website, NS requires 1.4 terawatt hours (TWh) to run their existing lines on

an annual basis, which is equivalent to 1% of the annual Dutch energy demand per year. By the final quarter of 2016, 70% of Nederlandse Spoorwegen’s electric passenger trains were being operated using electricity generated by wind farms, with the goal of achieving 100% green energy usage by 2018. NS recently announced, however, that they have attained this goal as of January 2017 – a full year ahead of schedule.

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FEATURE: ENERGY

Citadis X05, To Reduce Energy Consumption Alstom has been awarded a contract by China Steel Co. to supply 15 Citadis trams for Kaohsiung tramway project phase 2, which is expected to start revenue service in 2019.

Phase 2 - which is 13,4km long and includes 23 stations - is part of the Kaohsiung tramway line which will be 22,1km long and includes 37 stations¹. This new line will run all around the city and will be connected to two existing Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines: the Red and Orange.

Alstom will provide Citadis X05, which is equipped with the latest technologies including permanent magnet motors to reduce energy consumption. Alstom will also equip the trams with its Citadis Ecopack, an on-board energy storage solution located on the roof which enables the tram to run without a catenary from one station to another. Citadis Ecopack enables the tram to be fully charged through the catenary² when stopped at stations in 20 seconds.

“Alstom is proud to bring its leading tramway and infrastructure technologies to Taiwan. Once completed, the tramway line will provide a green transport solution to Kaohsiung residents and visitors who will be able to commute aboard a tram that is efficient, comfortable, and that blends perfectly into the cityscape” said Ling Fang, managing director of China and East Asia, Alstom.

The 15 Citadis X05 trams will be designed and manufactured

by Alstom's La Rochelle site in France. The other French sites involved are: Tarbes for the traction system equipment, Valenciennes for the interior design, Villeurbanne for the on-board electronic systems and passenger information, Ornans for the permanent magnet motors, Le Creusot for the bogies, Vitrolles for the on-board power supply switching boxes Citadis Ecoswitch, and Aix en Provence for the safety control system related to Ecopack. Sesto in Italy is also involved for the traction system equipment.

Alstom Taiwan is providing the on-site testing, training and warranty services. This tramway project is the first for Alstom in Taiwan and adds to recent Asia-Pacific successes notably in China and Australia³.

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Phase one is 8.7km long and counts 14 stations Pantograph will be raised when the tram stops Shanghai, Chengdu (China), Sydney (Australia)

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Speaking about the partnership between NS and Eneco, chief executive officer of NS, Timo Huges states: “The contract [between NS and Eneco] is a great example of how the railway sector has teamed up in the interest of travellers and sustainable mobility. We are very happy to have Eneco as a partner because of both their experience and their reputation.”

NS Leading The Way In PassengerCentric Sustainable Services According to the document published in 2016, outlining NS’s strategic goals for the next 5 years, the operator has highlighted their responsibility to deliver sustainable transport to the population of the Netherlands as being among their core objectives for the coming years.

Currently, NS provides passenger services both nationally and within the European Union for approximately 1.1 million commuters per day. As the most sustainable high-capacity transport system available in the country, NS sees themselves as contributing significantly to reducing the carbon footprint of the Netherlands on a whole. In line with their undertaking to providing optimal services to their customers, the operator intends to spend €2.5 billion on rolling stock, €300 million on accelerating digitisation and electronic communication technologies (such as providing WiFi access for passengers), and more than €300 million on station upgrades, over the next five years. Underpinning their objective to improve the passenger’s experience, is the understanding that delivering sustainable mobility solutions, especially within urban environments, will serve as a key in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals over the next few decades.

While the passenger rail sector in Africa remains years behind that of the European market, it will be interesting to see how new urban light rail and urban electric high-speed rail services that are newly commissioned or in the development phase in East Africa, South Africa and most notably in Morocco – who recently announced the start of an ultra-modern, extreme high-speed railway project scheduled to begin operations in 2018 – will compare with the standards being set by operators such as NS, particularly with respect to sustainability, passenger centred service delivery and digitisation.

FEATURE: ENERGY

Specialised Energy Mission From South Africa To Zambia Commended For Innovative Approach To Doing Business In Africa A South African energy sector trade and business delegation, jointly led

by Trade Invest Africa and the South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC), recently embarked upon a successful trade mission to Lusaka, Zambia.

The trade mission followed the inaugural South Africa-Zambia Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) held in Pretoria in December 2016. During the JCC the two countries committed to collaborating in developing mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities.

Trade Delegation Assists In Developing Zambia’s Energy Sector The specialised energy sector trade mission to Zambia facilitated meetings between stakeholders in South Africa’s energy sector with those in Zambia’s energy sector, both within the public and private spheres. The mission was aimed at enabling market access and unlocking investment opportunities in the Zambian energy sector in response to the country’s deficit in generation capacity and transmission line roll-out, which is negatively impacting universal access to electricity in the country.

The South African delegation included representatives from the following companies:

ABB; Actom; Conco; Conlog; Pfisterer; Powertech Transformers; Rethuseng Live Line Services; Thyssen Krupp; and Trans Africa Projects.

These representatives met with several Zambian energy sector institutions, including: ZCCM-Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH); the Energy Regulation Board; the ZDA, as well as the Ministry of Commerce; The Office for the Promotion of Private Power Investment (OPPI); the Rural Electrification Authority; the Copperbelt Energy Corporation; and the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia.

An Integrated Approach To Development An essential component in the energy trade mission was the inclusion of a number of South African financial institutions, including the Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa.

Lerato Mataboge, the chief director for Africa at the South African Department of Trade and Industry (dti), commented that Trade Invest Africa had responded to the call of South African business to ensure that trade missions be sector focused and should include financiers.

Further ineractions took place at the recently held Africa Energy Indaba.

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RAILWAYS AFRICA

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Alstom Publishes Environmental Declaration For Its New Generation Beacons Alstom has published the environmental declaration for its new generation of beacons. SmartBalise is an ecodesigned product, with minimised environmental impact all the way from manufacture to end-of-life.

Trackside, balise, Betuweroute line, Kijfhoek, Netherland.

The beacons - the yellow boxes located along the tracks - allow a train to retrieve signalling and safety data sent by the control centre with the help of an encoder, which acquires data related to the status of the signalling. The SmartBalise revolutionises the traditional concepts of the signalling market by integrating the encoder function within a conventional beacon. This "2-in-1" approach leads to significant environmental gains.

By comparing 4 SmartBalises used over a period of 20 years with 4 previous-generation balises linked up to a data management module, the results obtained over the life cycle of the beacon are remarkable, and include a 75% reduction in energy obtained from fossilfuel sources, an 86% reduction in energy consumption, corresponding to the annual consumption of a 400m² low-consumption building, and an 81% reduction in water pollution.

“With more than 100 experts in ecodesign, energy and materials, we are continuously optimising the environmental performance of our solutions and promoting the image of rail, which remains the most sustainable mode of motorised transport,” said Véronique Andries, the director of ecodesign at Alstom.

Electrical and electronic equipment represents 11% of the mass of a train but 40% of its manufacturing impact. As a result, Alstom engineers have adopted ecodesign in the development of electronic products in order to significantly reduce the company’s environmental footprint.

This approach was rewarded in 2014 with the extension of the ISO 14001 site certification to product design and a maturity level of 3 out of 4, obtained under the AFAQ ecodesign evaluation model. Alstom’s Villeurbanne site therefore became the first certified company in RhôneAlpes to receive a two-fold recognition for this expertise.

In addition to the SmartBalise, significant results in ecodesign have been obtained for Alstom's electronic products, such as the improved environmental performance of a signalling bay with increased computing power (leading to a 42% reduction in energy consumption) or a 54% reduction in the energy consumption of the onboard computer for urban signalling.

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FEATURE: ENERGY

Global Initiative To Voice A United Vision And Long-Term Ambition For Hydrogen In the first global initiative of its kind, the Hydrogen Council is determined to position hydrogen among the key solutions of the energy transition. Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier with favourable characteristics since it does not release any CO2 at the point of use as a clean fuel or energy source, and can play an important role in the transition to clean, low-carbon, energy systems.

Hydrogen technologies and products have significantly progressed over past years and are now being introduced to the market. The Council will work with, and provide recommendations to, a number of key stakeholders such as policy makers, business and hydrogen players, international agencies and civil society to achieve these goals.

During the launch, members of the Hydrogen Council confirmed their ambition to accelerate their significant investment in the development and commercialisation of the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors. These investments currently amount to an estimated total value of €1.4 Bn/year¹. This acceleration will be possible if the key stakeholders increase their backing of hydrogen as part of the future energy mix with appropriate policies and supporting schemes.

Meeting recently in Davos for the first time, the Hydrogen Council is currently made up of 13 CEO's and chairpersons from various industries and energy companies committed to help achieve the ambitious goal of reaching the 2oC target, as agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The international companies currently involved are: Air Liquide; Alstom; Anglo American; BMW Group; Daimler; ENGIE; Honda; Hyundai Motor; Kawasaki; Royal Dutch Shell; The Linde Group; Total; and Toyota. The Council is led by two co-chairs from different geographies and sectors, currently represented by Air Liquide and Toyota.

“The 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change is a significant step in the right direction but requires business action to be taken to make such a pledge a reality. The Hydrogen Council brings together some of the world’s leading industrial, automotive and energy companies with a clear ambition to explain why hydrogen emerges among the key solutions for the energy transition, in the mobility as well as in the power, industrial and residential sectors, and therefore requires the development of new strategies at a scale to support this. But we cannot do it alone. We need governments to back hydrogen with actions of their own – for example through large-scale infrastructure investment schemes. Our call today to world leaders is to commit to hydrogen so that together we can meet our shared climate ambitions and give further traction to the emerging Hydrogen ecosystem.”

- Benoît Potier, CEO, Air Liquide.

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Cleaner Locomotives for Southern Africa The C30ACi model manufactured by OEM GE Transportation, is the first AC diesel-electric locomotive to be introduced to sub-Saharan Africa.

The addition of these new models, which will be used to haul freight and coal, will decrease life cycle costs, improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

Customers in Southern Africa can deploy three C30ACi models to haul a load that would require four older locomotives, reducing annual diesel fuel consumption by 600,000 litres under typical operating conditions. In addition, the locomotive has the capacity to reduce emissions by 1,500 metric tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to eliminating the emissions from 310 cars.

The C30ACi locomotive engine delivers 3,300GHP using an electronic fuelinjection system that automatically supplies the exact amount of fuel needed for optimum engine efficiency.

GE’s C30ACi locomotives are the first in the Southern African region to meet UIC2 emissions standards. The C30ACi locomotive features GE’s unique individual axle control AC propulsion technology, improving hauling capability and decreasing life cycle cost.

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FEATURE: ENERGY

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"The Hydrogen Council will exhibit responsible leadership in showcasing hydrogen technology and its benefits to the world. It will seek collaboration, cooperation and understanding from governments, industry and most importantly, the public. At Toyota, we have always tried to play a leading role in environmental and technological advances in the automotive industry, including through the introduction of fuel cell vehicles. Moreover, we know that in addition to transportation, hydrogen has the potential to support our transition to a low carbon society across multiple industries and the entire value chain. The Hydrogen Council aims to actively encourage this transition.”

- Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman, Toyota.

http://hydrogeneurope. eu/wp-content/ uploads/2017/01/20170109HYDROGEN-COUNCIL-Visiondocument-FINAL-HR.pdf

“In Europe, the transportation sector is now the second biggest producer of emissions. Rail transportation is the cleanest and safest form of mass transportation and needs to become even cleaner. Hydrogen traction is a revolution as it is 100% emission free. I am proud to be part of the Hydrogen Council to develop further this technology that will change the face of transportation” - Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO, Alstom.

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Thirteen leading energy, transport and industry companies have launched a global initiative to voice a united vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the energy transition.

A report entitled ‘How Hydrogen Empowers The Energy Transition² - commissioned by the Hydrogen Council – further details the future potential that hydrogen is ready to provide, and sets out the vision of the council and the key actions it considers fundamental for policy makers to implement, to fully unlock and empower the contribution of hydrogen to the energy transition.

As global companies from major energy and industrial sectors, it is part of the corporate responsibility to provide solutions to manage the energy transition and move forward to a low-carbon, sustainable economy: joint action is required to tackle this formidable challenge. This is why the council invites governments and key society stakeholders to acknowledge the contribution of hydrogen to the energy transition and to work together to create an effective implementation plan.

The members of the Hydrogen Council collectively represent total revenues of € 1.07 trillion and 1.72 million employees around the world³.

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How Hydrogen Empowers The Energy Transition, Report, 2017, Hydrogen Council www.hydrogencouncil.com Company figures from financial years 2015 and 2016

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FEATURE: ENERGY

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A World-First For Fuel Efficiency In Open Cast Mining From Siemens SA Siemens SA unveils largest ever, fully automated DC containerised substation at 11MW, reinforcing position as global pioneer in trolley assist technology for over 30 years

“Siemens South Africa – Rail Electrification has established itself as a world leader in manufacturing DC containerised substations, and we have the skill sets locally to manufacture components at our Northriding factory. This is not only just good for job creation, but also reduces manufacturing costs which in turn contributes to lower prices and improved turnaround times.”

Billions of litres of diesel are consumed annually by the global mining industry, which is under severe pressure from weak commodity prices. Up to 80% of this costly fuel consumption comes from haulage trucks moving uphill on ramps.

Engine operating and maintenance costs are directly linked to hours of operation of the haulage trucks and using trolley assist on gradients reduces the cycle time of the haulage trucks, thus increasing the intervals for maintenance.

A Namibian uranium mine is overcoming this challenge with six 11MW Siemens substations that provide electric power to the overhead DC power lines, which in turn provide the DC power to the adapted diesel-electric haulage trucks.

This leads to longer intervals between engine overhauls, which are proportional to the hours that the haulage truck is in operation. The engine is maintained after every 2,500 hours of operation. The end result is reduced downtime and improved productivity on an around-the-clock basis.

Siemens SA launched one of three completed units at its Siemens North Riding facilities in September 2016. They will be used to power a fleet of Komatsu 960E trucks, which are among the industry’s biggest and highest capacity mine haulage vehicles, with a load capacity of 214m³ or 327 tonnes.

Another breakthrough for this new order is that 90% of components in the containerised substations are entirely manufactured by Siemens, compared to past units that contained approximately 30% Siemens components. “Consistent innovation has kept us at the forefront of mining technology, and sourcing nearly all of our components internally means greater quality control, improved functionality, and greater capacity,” says Siemens SA project manager Phiwa Thindwa.

Each 11MW containerised substation boasts 1.8kV of DC voltage and up to 10 000A to ensure that it can run two trucks continuously, three trucks for ten minutes or four trucks for one minute along the overhead power lines. This combination of substation and overhead line is known as trolley assist technology used in the mining industry.

A trolley assist solution is installed on any uphill stretch between the mineral ore loading (pit) and offloading points (dump or process plant), as the speed on the gradient is limited by the diesel engine’s horsepower, Thindwa explains.

With the inclusion of the electric drives, the electric power supplied to the wheel motors of the haulage trucks enables the vehicles to move faster uphill, which results in quicker turnaround times and higher productivity for the mining operation.

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Pushing For More Localisation Siemens’ DC containerised substations are manufactured in Pretoria with components currently imported from Germany. “The company aims to manufacture components such as switchgear and control panels locally in future,” says Siemens SA Country Business Unit Lead: Rail Electrification, Joey Govindasamy.

“Siemens South Africa – Rail Electrification has established itself as a world leader in manufacturing DC containerised substations, and we have the skill sets locally to manufacture components at our Northriding factory. This is not only just good for job creation, but also reduces manufacturing costs, which in turn contributes to lower prices and improved turnaround times.”

Siemens’ trolley assist solutions for the mining sector were first developed in South Africa in 1981, and the local operation has since remained a global leader in installed capacity. Currently Siemens SA is the only provider of the trolley solution in the Siemens group.

The technology has been supplied to open cast mines in South Africa, Namibia, the DRC, Zambia and as far afield as North America. Siemens has new business interest from mining companies in Botswana, DRC and Sweden. Given the success of the solutions in the mining sector, Govindasamy notes that Siemens will be targeting rail customers in the near future.

Siemens Containerised Substations Each substation is housed in a 6m x 3.3m x 3m container that weighs approximately 8.5 tonnes when fully commissioned.

Siemens SA offers full assembly, installation, testing and commissioning of these fully automated facilities.

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FEATURE: ENERGY

RAILWAYS AFRICA

CAF To Manufacture Maintenance Locomotives For RATP The Paris-based public transport operator, Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), has awarded CAF a contract for the design and manufacture of dualmode electric locomotives, which are able to operate by drawing power from overhead wires or by means of onboard batteries. The framework agreement envisages the supply of 12 units, with an option to acquire an additional six locomotives, in a contract that has been valued at €65 million.

The container includes the 1.8kV DC switchgear, rectifiers, 33kV ring main unit, Siprotec AC protection device and Sitras Pro DC Feeder protection device. The control and protection of the entire substation is automated with a Siemens PLC and distributed Input/ Output units connected via Profibus, significantly reducing the number of interface cables between equipment and allowing for the effective control and monitoring of the substation and equipment via a touch panel.

RATP operates the Paris Metro, which offers urban centre and intercity commuter services in Paris and in the greater Paris metropolitan area, as well as several regional lines across France. The locomotives on order will be used primarily to tow maintenance trains that will service RAPT’s regional railway infrastructure.

Cooling of this unit is provided by two inverter air conditioners, keeping the inside temperatures between 18 to 22oC under normal load conditions.

Karl van Rensburg, Siemens’ lead engineer who designed the substation, comments: “Our experience gained over the past 20 years of providing DC mobile substations for trolley assist projects at various mines has greatly contributed to the success of this project.”

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CAF’s 1000kW shunting locomotives are equipped with nickelcadmium batteries that enable the units to carry out maintenance activities autonomously. According to CAF, this is the first time that this technology has been employed in maintenance locomotives in the world. In addition to improving delivery of maintenance programmes on RAPT’s infrastructure, the removal of diesel fuel from these locomotives will reduce CO2 emissions, thereby improving RAPT’s environmental sustainability. The locomotives will be manufactured at CAF’s train manufacturing facility in Bagnères de Bigorre in 2018, with the first unit to be delivered by the first quarter of 2019.

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Serving the rail industry for over 100 years with over 55 years in traction motors;

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Facilities in USA, Canada, Mexico and South Africa provide localisation - including Buy America compliant traction motors, gear boxes and global support;

www.iecholden.com

info@iecholden.com

+27 (0) 10 005 1671 www.railwaysafrica.com 27

FEATURE: ENERGY

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

Siemens Launches Telecontrol And Power Grid Automation System In September 2016, Siemens launched a new telecontrol and power grid automation system - the modular equipment series Sicam A8000. This combination of power supply, processor, and expansion module can be utilised in substations, distribution network automation, connecting renewable energy sources, power supply applications in industry, or in railway power supply systems.

The compact device CP-8000 comprises a power supply, a display with function keys, as well as binary inputs and outputs. The new processor and power supply modules, in conjunction with expansion modules, enable scalable solutions for a wide range of power requirements.

The chief executive officer of the Siemens Energy Management Division, Ralf Christian, stated that: “If the transition to a new energy mix is going to succeed, the energy business needs to further digitalise its power grids. We’re supporting this development with our new telecontrol and grid automation system.”

Analog input modules with four inputs are available, as are binary input modules with sixteen inputs and binary output modules with eight outputs. There are analog input modules with three inputs for current and voltage and a current transformer adapter module with three current inputs. With a standard width of 30mm, the modules can be mounted on a DIN rail¹ in any sequence and are interconnected via a bus on the back side.

The system automatically detects the individual modules during startup. Due to the different power levels of the processor modules and expansion modules, the system is almost infinitely scalable and expandable. The telecontrol and grid automation system, which is based on international standards such as IEC 61850, can also be operated in climatically adverse conditions as a result of its extended temperature range (from -40°C to +70°C).

In addition, the enhanced EMC stability with a voltage of up to five kilovolts (IEC60255) permits direct application in substations.

An integrated crypto chip protects the data in a secure environment, and IPSec encryption allows secure communication over IP networks, and an https protocol ensures the secure transmission of sensitive data.

Sicam A8000 can be adapted to the user’s communications infrastructure by means of various interfaces and an integrated GPRS module (CP-8022).

The system not only supports standard protocols, but also specific protocols used in non-Siemens equipment.

Short-circuit indicator functions make it possible to use the system in network monitoring and an integrated web-parameterising tool facilitates system engineering.

1.

In power transmission and distribution, the system can be used for automating several voltage levels in substations for the transmission grid. In distribution network automation, the system takes over the role of monitoring and control of secondary substations on the medium-voltage side, with regard to fault location and the automatic restoration of the power supply.

Another application area is the network coupling of wind and solar parks, using the incoming feeder controller as a hub for exchanging information between wind farm and supply grid. Turbine control systems, process controls, or switching interlocks can be implemented for open and closed-loop control applications, due to the Sicam A8000’s logic functions. In industry, it can be utilised as the power automation technology for all systems, from local power in-feed, through the integration of an emergency power supply, to the level of lowvoltage distribution.

Sicam A8000 can control distributed power generating plants within a micro grid, and can therefore meet the challenges of specific energy scenarios. However, it also functions as a communications gateway for RTU networks (remote terminal units) that can be based on different network and communications protocols. The RTU can be used as a gateway with protocol conversion and network separation between the process and visualisation levels. Sicam A8000 is also suitable for automating railway power supply, including the entire control system as well as the protection and communications technology.

A DIN rail is a metal rail of a standard type widely used for mounting circuit breakers and industrial control equipment inside equipment racks.

These products are typically made from cold rolled carbon steel sheet with a zinc-plated or chromated bright surface finish - Wikipedia

28 www.railwaysafrica.com

1:2017

FEATURE: ENERGY

RAILWAYS AFRICA

The DB Bahnbau Group Smart Presents An Alternative To Conventional Electricity 6 to 8kW fuel cell system.

100W BZ fuel cell system.

A ‘clean environment’ is the declared aim of the Deutsche Bahn strategy entitled "DB 2020". According to the DB Bahnbau Group, its new fuel cell represents a milestone achievement in this regard.

By combining hydrogen and oxygen, the fuel cell produces zero-emissions

DB Station and Service: BIM method and the Green Station DB Station and Service AG is using Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the digital planning, construction and modernisation of Deutsche Bahn stations across Germany. BIM is a process involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of buildings and infrastructure to optimise design, planning and project

implementation. Currently, BIM software is being used by individuals, businesses and government agencies to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain a variety of physical infrastructure, including power stations, train stations, water supply infrastructure, ports, bridges and communication utilities, to name a few¹.

All stakeholders in a DB station upgrade project are involved in developing a BIM model prior to project execution, including architects, planners, consultants,

electrical energy. The fuel cell’s modular design means it has multiple applications, including as a backup supply for signal boxes, powering tunnel and video monitoring systems and temporarily monitoring construction sites.

The DB Bahnbau Group fuel cell systems are available in categories ranging from only a few watts to over 100kW. They can be portable or fixed, depending on the application. The fuel cell was premiered at the 2016 InnoTrans conference and exhibition, held in Berlin.

site supervisors and construction firms. The calculation of costs and quantities is adjusted automatically, enabling better planning, cost management and project implementation. BIM allows planning errors to be identified at the conceptualisation phase and minimises possible risks that may emerge during the execution of construction on a project.

The first station to be planned and constructed using BIM was the Werbig interchange station in Brandenburg. DB Station and Service AG presented

their BIM modelling approach at InnoTrans 2016, where they featured Germany’s second "Green Station" in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, which opened in July 2016.

Operation of the Lutherstadt Wittenberg station building is almost entirely CO₂ neutral due to the use of a geothermal system, photovoltaic technology, rooftop greening, rainwater management and LED lighting. Germany’s first Green Station was opened in Horrem, NRW in June 2014.

1. Building information modelling – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_information_modeling

Surtees Engineering (Pty) Ltd based in Johannesburg, has been servicing the railroad industry in Southern Africa since 1982.

Surtees Engineering concentrates its efforts on the manufacturing, repair and machining of specialised mining, steel production and railway related products for both freight and passenger rolling stock.

Surtees Engineering specialises in the supply, refurbishing and the assembly of new wheelsets for a variety of rolling stock applications such as hoppers, locomotives, motor and trailer coaches as well as the manufacture of axles.

EXCELLENCE IN RAILWAY & MINING ENGINEERING

In addition, the company is competent in the refurbishment and supply of a wide range of crane and rail bogies and crane wheels, carrying a comprehensive inventory of spares to efficiently cater to client needs.

Other equipment reconditioned or manufactured by the company include: • • • • •

Vacuum pumps Compressors Air, hydraulic and mechanical jacks Air and vacuum brake equipment Automatic slack adjusters

• • • • •

Automatic couplers Drawgear assemblies Traction motors General engineering and fabrication And other locomotive and rail wagon equipment

80 Whitworth Road, Heriotdale, Johannesburg, Gauteng Tel: +27 11 626 1242 | Email: sales@surtees.co.za

www.railengineering.co.za

www.railwaysafrica.com 29

FEATURE: ENERGY

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

Hyperloop One Readies For Testing On The First Full-Scale Hyperloop System Hyperloop One, the US-based company at the forefront of developing a new mode of transport using near-hypersonic travel tubes, has announced that they are nearing the first test run on a 3km prototype of a Hyperloop System in Nevada, USA. presentation “Hyperloop Alpha”: “The Hyperloop can generate far in excess of the energy needed to operate. This takes into account storing enough energy in battery packs to operate at night and for periods of extended cloudy weather. The energy could also be stored in the form of compressed air that runs an electric fan in reverse to generate energy.”

The Hyperloop is a proposed mode of transport that will provide both passenger and freight services. The system uses a linear electric motor to accelerate and decelerate an electromagnetically levitated pod through a low-pressure tube. The Hyperloop is intended to be eco-friendly, faster, and safer than any mode of transport currently available. Elon Musk, the CEO of international aerospace company SpaceX, first proposed the concept in 2013, and his company has driven the idea forward by running

international design and technology competitions, inviting the world’s leading academics and engineers to come up with implementable proposals and prototypes for the Hyperloop tube and pod.

The Ultimate HighSpeed Solar Powered Transport System The Hyperloop transport system is designed to be sustainably self-powering.

The system relies on solar panels placed along the track to produce the energy required to run the system. Musk explains in his 2013 concept

30 www.railwaysafrica.com

Climate controlled capsules will travel inside the reinforced tube pathway, which will make the Hyperloop system invulnerable to climatic factors such as bad weather and earthquakes.

In addition, the use of pylons to erect the tube above ground level will reduce the environmental impact of laying the permanent way, roads or runways required by conventional modalities.

The pylon design also has cost-saving implications, as Musk explains: “The key advantages of a tube verses a railway track is

that it can be built above the ground on pylons and it can be built in prefabricated sections that are dropped in place and joined with an orbital seam welder. By building it on pylons, you can almost entirely avoid the need to buy land.”

First Hyperloop Built in Nevada, USA The Los Angeles-Based start up company Hyperloop One, previously known as Hyperloop Technologies, recently announced that they are in the advanced stages of constructing the world’s first full-scale version of Musk’s Hyperloop concept.

The 3km prototype, called the Development Hyperloop (DevLoop), will use the low-pressure environment proposed by Musk’s initial concept to propel capsules at speeds of up to 1,126km/h inside a tube. Testing on the system is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2017.

1:2017

FEATURE: ENERGY

RAILWAYS AFRICA

Alstom CO2-Emission-Free Regional Train As reported in Railways AfricaTM Magazine Issue 5:2016 following the InnoTrans Trade Fair and Conference held in Berlin, Alstom has launched a ground-breaking zero-emission train, the Coradia iLINT. In recent years, Alstom’s technical innovations can offer up to 20% lower energy consumption for operators, depending on the type of train and operating conditions.

To further these achievements, the company has been working on an all-new powertrain system equipped with fuel cells.

The Coradia iLINT offers an alternative to diesel power, as it is driven by a hydrogen fuel cell.

The combination of hydrogen and oxygen produces electrical energy while its only emission is steam and condensed water and operates at low noise levels. Alstom is among the first railway manufacturers in the world to develop a passenger train based on such technology.

www.amstedrail.com

Watch Video: http://www.alstom.com/press-centre/2016/9/ alstom-unveils-its-zero-emission-train-coradia-ilint-at-innotrans/

The introduction of the Coradia iLINT follows the signing of Letters-Of-Intent for the development of a new generation of emissionfree train, equipped with fuel cell drive with the German Landers of Lower Saxony; North Rhine-Westphalia; Baden-Württemberg; and the public transport authorities of Hesse in 2014.

Tel: +27 87 310 1769 | rvanjaarsveld@amstedrail.com Gross Street, Tunney Ext 3, Germiston, South Africa

Amsted_712_advert_RA_180x120.indd 1

2016/08/10 3:39 AM www.railwaysafrica .com 31

AFRICA UPDATE

RAILWAYS AFRICA

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Development Of The Northern Economic Corridor

- East and Central Africa On Track For Future Growth The governments of Kenya and Uganda have launched a project to compile and implement a comprehensive, integrated master plan for the strategic development of logistics on the Northern Economic Corridor (NEC). The master plan was developed in collaboration with Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), who committed to assisting the governments of Kenya and Uganda in developing a master plan on logistics for the NEC in 2014. The NEC Master Plan provides a strategic framework and implementation strategy that aims to revolutionise transport logistics in East and Central Africa, thereby escalating socio-economic growth across the targeted region by 2030.

Africa’s Northern Economic Corridor The Northern Economic Corridor (NEC) is a multi-modal logistics corridor, consisting of road, rail, pipeline, and inland waterways. The corridor connects South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with Burundi and Rwanda, before traversing Uganda and Kenya, continuing to the Mombasa Sea Port on the east coast of Africa. The NEC is recognised as a major logistics corridor for East Africa, as it links the region’s landlocked countries to port facilities and, therefore, to international markets in the East.

As with many of the transport corridors in Africa, a number of obstacles have severely hampered the functionality of the NEC over the past few decades, including inadequate infrastructure, poor connectivity between transport modes and delays at border posts

and port facilities. These factors combined have resulted in the escalation of transportation costs in East and Central Africa, slowing trade and impeding economic growth in the region.

In response to this challenge, the governments of Uganda and Kenya requested the Government of Japan to roll out a project with the aim of formulating a comprehensive, integrated blueprint for the implementation of an effective logistics solution for the NEC. In October 2014, the Japanese government responded by dispatching a team of researchers and analysts from JICA to undertake the research needed to develop a master plan on logistics that would include an integrated economic development strategy for the targeted region.

In December 2016, JICA presented their report and associated recommendations to the Kenyan Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Works and Transport in Uganda for consideration. The master plan will be reviewed by the relevant state departments before being presented to the Kenyan and Ugandan cabinets for final approval this year.

The NEC Master Plan The master plan, as presented

by JICA, outlines 199 projects for possible development, including upgrades to road networks, the implementation of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) projects and the creation of logistic hubs throughout the corridor, among others. If implemented, JICA suggests that

the logistics model proposed could reduce current transport costs for customers using the NEC by between 20-40% for trucks and 30-60% for rail. According to analyst’s projections, this will equate to earnings of $US988 million per annum for Kenya and Uganda, which is equivalent to 0.9% of the region’s average GDP. In addition, the realisation of reliable and cost efficient logistics on the NEC will boost the export of commodities, particularly agricultural produce and minerals.

Included in the master plan is a strategy to implement domestic production centres, predominantly within the agricultural sector, which will reduce the region’s dependence on imported products such as rice, fertilisers and maize while increasing intra-regional trade.

The Role Of Railways In The NEC Logistics Master Plan According to JICA’s NEC master plan on logistics, the total volume of freight imported and exported through the port of Mombasa is projected to reach 61 million tonnes by 2030, which is more than double the volumes currently being handled at the port. At present, more than 95% of bulk freight is transported by road in Uganda and Kenya and, if these projections are correct, total traffic volumes between Nairobi, Nakuru and Kampala will exceed 40,000 pcu/day¹ by 2030. The report states that even if current road capacity were doubled on the corridor over the next 15 years, it would not be sufficient to accommodate the increasing demand for freight transport across

Presidential delegations from NCIP member states initiating construction on Kampala section of SGR line.

1.

2.

Passenger Car Unit (PCU) is a metric used to assess traffic flow rates on a highway – Wikipedia Northern Corridor Integration Project Website: Vision of the NCIP- https://www.nciprojects.org/about/about-us

32 www.railwaysafrica.com

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame during the signing of the SGR Agreement in Nairobi.

1:2017

FEATURE: ENERGY

RAILWAYS AFRICA The Heads of State of the Northern Corridor member states; Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda on 6 June 2015 at the10th Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit.

the region. As such, the NEC master plan proposes a modal shift that will see heavy cargo, such as mining and construction materials, being transported by rail and crude oil by pipeline. With the implementation of a regional standard gauge railway (SGR) line linking the four countries on the corridor, JICA forecasts a modal shift from road to rail of between 20% and 40% upon implementation of the plan.

The Northern Corridor SGR Project In 2013, the governments of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda signed a tripartite agreement to put in place the mechanisms needed to expedite the construction of a SGR system linking Rwanda and Uganda to the port of Mombasa.

South Sudan and the DRC became participating members in 2014 and 2015 respectively, which resulted in the proposed line being extended

to include the city of Juba as well as proposed links in the DRC. Integrated planning on the SGR project is being overseen by the Northern Corridor Integration Project (NCIP), which was established in 2014 by the governments of Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan to “develop a northern logistics corridor that is fully integrated, to facilitate the competitiveness of the region in the global market.”² There are 16 projects currently being developed under the NCIP, focusing on transport infrastructure development, ICT infrastructure, energy, trade and investment and cross-border logistics, among others.

The Northern Corridor SGR project, which is among the largest and most ambitious to be considered by the NCIP, aims to construct a seamless railway network that will connect Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Southern Sudan to facilitate

Northern Corridor Heads of State.

the movement of goods and people from port facilities in Mombasa to Kigali in Rwanda and Juba in Southern Sudan.

Currently, Kenya has progressed the furthest in implementing the Northern Corridor SGR project, with trial operations on the 472km Mombasa-Nairobi line due to commence in February. The government of Uganda is still in the planning phase of their SGR project, with land acquisition for the first phase of the proposed line currently underway. The China Harbour Engineering Company is expected to start construction on Uganda’s Malaba-Kampala line during the course of the year. The majority of the funding for the Northern Corridor SGR project has come in the form of loans from the EXIM Bank of China, with construction and rolling stock being supplied by various Chinese contractors.

www.railwaysafrica.com 33

AFRICA UPDATE

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

AFREXIMBANK ANNOUNCES NEW STRATEGIC PLAN TARGETING $US90 BILLION DISBURSEMENT OVER FIVE YEARS The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the inception of a new five-year strategic plan that will see the Africa export-import bank distribute $US90 billion in support of African trade, between 2017 and 2021.

The plan, titled “IMPACT 2021: Africa Transformed”, was approved by the Afreximbank board of directors during its 111th meeting, which took place in Cairo on 10 December 2016.

The new plan envisages an aggregate disbursement of $US90 billion during the five-year period, with expenditures in support of intra-African trade expected to reach $US25 billion. The strategy defines intra-African trade as trade in goods and services between or among African countries.

Following the approval of the IMPACT 2021 strategy, the president of 1.

Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Oramah stated: “The adoption of IMPACT 2021 paves the way for Afreximbank to begin to address the imperatives of its mandate directly and Africa will be better for it.”

IMPACT 2021: Africa Transformed The Afreximbank sets out four strategic pillars in their new strategy, namely: • Intra-African Trade • Industrialisation and Export Development • Trade Finance Leadership • Financial Soundness and Performance

Intra-Africa Trade Under the intra-African trade pillar, the Bank will promote and finance intra-African trade and trade with the African Diaspora¹. The strategy for intra-African trade is constructed around three themes, identified as Create, Connect and Deliver, with Measure as an ancillary theme, (CCDm).

The philosophy behind CCDm focuses on building robust export manufacturing capacities as well as domestic and continental supply chains to facilitate increased flow of goods and services across Africa’s borders. The Measure ancillary theme introduces monitoring and measurement mechanisms.

and services while ensuring that the produced goods and services are traded.

Industrialisation and Export Development

The Trade Finance Leadership

The most critical component of IMPACT 2021: Africa Transformed, is the industrialisation and export development pillar, which is framed around three themes: Catalyse, Produce and Trade (CPT).

The Trade Finance Leadership pillar will see Afreximbank extend its leadership in trade finance by expanding some of the critical trade finance products it already offers and by creating new products and initiatives.

The bank will expand its business services to fill the gap created as a result of reduced activities by international banks in Africa due to high compliance costs and economic uncertainties.

Under the CPT framework, the Bank intends to act as a catalyst for industrialisation and export development in Africa by directly addressing current constraints to industrialisation by facilitating the production of value-added exports

Interventions under the Industrialisation and Export Development pillar will focus on supporting the development of the agro-processing, light manufacturing, and tradable service sectors.

The African diaspora refers to: “the communities throughout the world that have emerged through decent, as a result of the historic movement of peoples from Africa to other parts of the world, including African American populations, among others.”- Wikipedia

NIGERIA PLANS TO BUILD RAILWAY TO REVITALISE THE COUNTRY’S STEEL INDUSTRY The Nigerian Federal Government has announced that they intend to build a 275km railroad, linking the Ajaokuta Steel Plant with the Agbaja Iron Ore Project, in Nigeria’s Kogi State.

Negotiations between the Nigerian Federal Government and Global Steel Holdings Ltd. (GSHL), who currently operate the Nigerian Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), were initiated in 2008, with the aim of reaching an agreement regarding the Agbaja Iron Ore Project. In August 2016, the parties signed a contract that stipulates that the ownership of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex has reverted back to the federal government, while GSHL retains ownership of NIOMCO. Currently, the Ajaokuta Steel Plant spans 24,000 hectares and houses 34 www.railwaysafrica.com

a Russian manufactured blast furnace that is 98% complete, but has never been commissioned, along with conveyor belts and storage yards that are completely unused.

The project, initiated in 1979, was never fully completed as a result of protracted disputes over the ownership and development rights of the facility.

The stagnation of the country’s largest iron-ore production facility has resulted in Nigeria’s steel industry operating at a fraction of its potential for decades, a situation that the government hopes to remedy in alignment with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitments to diversify the Nigerian economy, which is currently dependent on crude oil.

Vice president Yemi Osinbajo; chairman of Global Steel Holdings Limited and minister for solid minerals development Pramod Mittal at the conclusion of Ajaokuta negotiations.

The federal government intends to award concessions for the operations of both the Ajaokuta Steel Plant and the proposed railway line, once infrastructure rehabilitation and construction is complete.

1:2017

AFRICA UPDATE

RAILWAYS AFRICA

GE AND TRANSNET SHARE THEIR PLAN TO DIGITISE AFRICA General Electric (GE), the world’s premier digital industrial company, and Transnet, Africa’s largest and most developed rail and ports operator, announced their plan to partner on digitising Africa’s transport sector on 27 January.

“The digital opportunity for industry is now.

At GE, we have embraced data and analytics, and see it as a driving force, transforming our operations and those of our customers globally.”

Their proposed plan to deliver a digital solution that will seamlessly connect shippers and transport operators, will make it dramatically easier for a company to understand pricing and capacity on the network, plan a shipment, and get their goods to market.

Transnet’s group chief executive officer, Siyabonga Gama, pointed out that the agreement represents another first for the GE and Transnet partnership, which continues to deliver value to South Africa’s growth strategy - the National Development Plan.

Transnet delivers 13,000 containers and 620,000 tonnes of goods that are critical to Africa’s economy, on a daily basis. Africa’s intracontinental trade has nearly doubled since 1995, and the increasing volume of goods moving through the supply chain is creating transportation and logistical complexities that slow down shipments. The digital solution will

“This digital solution will be critical in optimising freight efficiency and bringing products to market faster and for less cost, across the continent. The cost of moving goods from point A to point B is very high, which is passed onto the end customer, impeding Africa’s ability to be competitive in pricing.”

“This planned digital partnership with Transnet will be another step forward in how we can work together to improve Africa’s transport sector; delivering efficiency and productivity.” be enabled by Predix, which is the operating system for GE’s Industrial Internet or Internet of Things (IOT).

Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE and Transnet’s group chief executive officer, Siyabonga Gama at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Johannesburg. Provided by Transnet.

The solution will connect shippers and transport operators by providing real-time, data-driven insights on the status of shipments.

It will take laborious processes, such as payments, customs and inspections from paper to the digital environment. The system creates an on-demand solution for transporting freight, inspired by consumer on-demand transportation models.

Speaking at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, the chairman and CEO of GE, Jeff Immelt said: “The digital opportunity for industry is now. At GE, we have embraced data and analytics, and see it as a driving force, transforming our operations and those of our customers globally.”

Immelt concluded by stating: “This planned digital partnership with Transnet will be another step forward in how we can work together to improve Africa’s transport sector; delivering efficiency and productivity.”

Gama stated that the implementation of the digitisation plan would result in businesses being better equipped to meet their customer’s expectations, gain a competitive edge and continue to thrive in today’s robust digital economy.

The planned partnership will further strengthen the relationship that already exists between the two companies, by leveraging on Transnet’s domain experience and expertise with the established GE digital knowledge.

General Electric subsidiary, GE South Africa Technologies (GESAT), started working with Transnet in 2008 on Transnet’s locomotive fleet renewal programme, which is part of its R300 billion capital investment programme – the Market Demand Strategy (MDS). In addition, GESAT and Transnet signed an export agreement in 2014, to jointly manufacture locomotives in South Africa to sell to customers in the African market.

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AFRICA UPDATE

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

GHANAIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY REVITALISATION PROJECT The Sekondi/Takoradi-Kojokrom railway line in the Western Region, Ghana, has recently undergone a significant revamp, following the rehabilitation of terminals on the twin cities’ busy suburban rail network.

The rehabilitation programme covers 15km of single track from Kojokrom to Sekondi and Takoradi and includes the construction of ultra-modern freight terminals and the procurement of new rolling stock for the line.

Speaking at the commissioning the terminal in Sekondi, former Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama declared: “This marks the beginning of the transformation of the railway network in Ghana.”

Along with the rehabilitation of terminals on the line, the Ghana Railways has purchased two new diesel multiple units (DMU) to run on the line. The Chinese -built DMUs have a six-car formation comprising two motor cars and four trailer cars and were manufactured by CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co. Ltd During the commissioning ceremony, Mahama highlighted that the Ghanaian government is in the process of securing funding to enable a national railway revitalisation project, with the Sekondi/TakoradiKojokrom railway rehabilitation project being the first of many that can be expected in the future.

Ghana Railways has procured two diesel electric multiple units from Tangshan Railway Vehicle Company (TRC).

The Western Region, which is heavily dependent on mining commodities for its economic activity, has in the past relied on rail infrastructure to haul minerals to port facilities for export. The ailing railway infrastructure in the region has, in recent years, negatively impacted freight transportation in the area. The revamping of rail infrastructure between Kojokrom, Sekondi and Takoradi, therefore, presents an opportunity for economic growth in the surrounding metropolises.

GOVERNMENT SATISFIED WITH ZAMBIA RAILWAYS REHABILITATION PROGRAMME The Zambian government has indicated that it is satisfied with the progress made by Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) in implementing their recapitalisation and rail rehabilitation programme, after the repossession of the railway company from an unsuccessful concessionaire in 2012.

Minister of transport and communications, Brian Mushimba, stated that the capital injection of US$120 million from the Eurobond has yielded positive results in the track rehabilitation project.

“It is gratifying to note that after the recapitalisation of ZRL in 2013, train speeds, which were as low as 15km/h, have been increased to over 40km/h with the ongoing track rehabilitation programme,” he said.

Speaking during a tour of ZRL facilities in Kabwe, Mushimba stated that ZRL is a strategic institution in the country’s transport and logistics chain and, as such, there is need to create an environment that will allow it to succeed.

Mushimba indicated that the past performance of ZRL shows that the institution has the potential and opportunity necessary for growth, and emphasised that the rail operator should function as a profit-driven entity that is able to declare dividends to the government consistently.

The minister stressed government’s commitment to ensuring that rail transport is well utilised in the movement of heavy and bulk cargo, which will help to reduce

36 www.railwaysafrica.com

damage to the country’s road infrastructure.

and security of goods and passengers.

“The Statutory Instrument (SI) to compel heavy and bulk cargo to move by rail is a step in the right direction. ZRL should position itself positively and be more innovative in ensuring that capacity on the country’s railways is sufficient to meet demands,” the minister stated.

ZRL managing director Christopher Musonda said that the consultative meetings around the proposed SI have received an overwhelming response from various stakeholders.

Mushimba responded by saying that ZRL needs to position itself for the SI by increasing capacity through investing in both infrastructure and rolling stock to allow the movement of cargo in a more efficient and profitable manner.

Mushimba, however, commended ZRL for the successful implementation of their turnaround plan, particularly with regards to improved efficiency and in their fleet rehabilitation programme.

Mushimba observed that rail transport has not been an attractive option for customers in recent years, which the government hopes to change. During his tour of the ZRL Centralised Train Control (CTC) facility, Mushimba emphasised the importance of modern communication and signalling systems in promoting safety

1:2017

AFRICA UPDATE

RAILWAYS AFRICA

TUNISIA’S SNCFT SECURES A $US73 MILLION LOAN FOR NEW ROLLING STOCK The Moroccan Attijari Bank has signed a TND167 million ($US73 million) loan agreement with the Tunisian Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCF) for the acquisition of 20 locomotives from American OEM, Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD).

The rolling stock procurement project is a part of an extensive programme for the renewal of the railway operator’s fleet to improve SNCFT’s capacity to transport phosphate, among other commodities.

The 20 ultra-modern locomotives will support the country’s mining sector and will reduce the cost of transportation across the region.

The new rolling stock will significantly increase heavy haul freight capacity. The new locomotives will aid in moving phosphate at higher speeds than the current 70 to 100km/h presently possible and will, therefore, remove the need to transport these loads by road.

The fleet renewal project is a part of SNCFT’s five-year development plan aimed at improving railway infrastructure in Tunisia, which started in 2016.

PRASA - COMMUTERS PLEASED WITH NEW TRAIN

GHANA’S RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT MINISTER PROMISES NATIONAL RAILWAY REVITALISATION

On 7 February, the first X’Trapolis Mega train, built by Gibela for PRASA, carried its first passengers on the Koedoespoort – Rissik Corridor, in Pretoria.

According to Gibela, commuters were visibly pleased and full of praise for the new train, in particular, its modern, ergonomic design, comfort levels and speed.

The new off-peak service started in early February and will operate on weekdays and Saturdays between 08h30 and 15h30. A total of 25 trips will run on a daily basis until the start of official commercial services. Once operational, PRASA expects to have nine trains running in the Pretoria region by March 2017.

Gibela CEO, Marc Granger, states: “This is a historic moment for Gibela, its shareholders and the country at large, as South African commuters finally get a taste of a service that marks the entry into a new age of rail.”

The Ghanaian minister of railways development, Joe Ghartey has pledged to work diligently to restore Ghana's railway sector, with the aim of transforming the country’s economy.

The minister gave this assurance when he appeared before Parliament’s Appointment Committee to be vetted earlier in February.

Ghartey said he will kickstart the restructuring of the railway sector with the reconstruction of the rail networks along the Eastern and Western lines, among others.

“What will happen in Ghana if we agree to expand the railway is an economic explosion.

The transformation of the economy can only happen if we invest in the railway,” he said.

BOLLORÉ TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS AWARDED ON INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY The World Customs Organisation (WCO) recognised the uniqueness and professionalism of the Bolloré Transport and Logistics teams in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Through its high level of collaboration and the assistance provided to help the CAR to achieve their customs revenue objective, the Central African minister of finance and budget, Henri Marie Dondra, awarded the subsidiary of Bolloré - represented by managing director of Bolloré Transport and Logistics Central African Republic, Jean-Pierre Feuillasier, with a certificate of merit, in Bangui. The award ceremony took place in recognition of International Customs Day, celebrated on 26 January.

Bolloré Transport and Logistics CAR is one of four private sector companies in the Central African Republic that has assisted the international customs community to collect fees and to ensure total transparency regarding the kinds of goods circulating in the country.

Ghartey further stated that: “Kumasi to Buipe forms the bread basket of this nation, and we are convinced, beyond any doubt, that if this line is developed, the price of foodstuff will decrease and the economic benefits will be unimaginable.” To illustrate his point, he added that: “fuel will be 50% less and cocoa will be 25% less if it is carried by rail.”

Ghartey reiterated that revamping the railway sector will improve the lives of Ghanaians and boost productivity by reducing people’s commuting times as a result of traffic congestion on the country’s inadequate road infrastructure.

www.railwaysafrica.com 37

AFRICA UPDATE: ETHIOPIA

OWNERSHIP: Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) OPERATOR: Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) FUNDING: Turkish EX-IM bank and the Swiss Credit Consortium in addition to direct government spending.

COST: Estimated budget of $US1.7 billion CONSTRUCTION: Yapi Merkezi SIGNALLING: Bombardier Transportation, Interflo 250

38 www.railwaysafrica.com

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

1:2017

RAILWAYS AFRICA

AFRICA UPDATE: ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia Continues To Implement Their

Transportation Master Plan The Awash-Kombolcha-Hara Gebeya Railway Project is entering its second year, and according to the lead project developers, Yapi Merkezi, construction is progressing in line with their project plan. The railway line, which has an estimated budget of $US1.7 billion, is scheduled for completion in April 2018, with testing anticipated by August 2017.

Awash-Kombolcha-Hara Gebeya Railway Project In Context The Awash-Kombolcha-Hara Gebeya Railway Project is a part of the Ethiopian Government’s fiveyear growth and transformation plan (GTP), which aims to transform the country’s transport sector to encourage both intraregional and international trade. The Awash-KombolchaHara Gebeya line is of strategic importance to the implementation of the GTP, as it will connect the country’s agricultural producers in the northern and central regions to port facilities in the east via linkages to the recently commissioned Addis-Ababa — Djibouti standard gauge line.

The project is owned and will be operated by the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC), and is being funded by the Turkish EX-IM bank and the Swiss Credit Consortium in addition to direct government spending. The construction tender was awarded to Turkish

company Yapi Merkezi in 2014, in collaboration with international consulting and engineering group, Systra. Bombardier Transportation will be implementing their Interflo 250 telematics solution, which comprises all the trackside products required to operate a main line, as well as an automatic train protection (ATP) system, to ensure that the railway is interoperable with adjacent lines.

Erdem Arioglu of Yapi Merkezi points out that: “[The AwashKombolcha-Hara Gebeya Railway Project] is one of the longest lines tendered as a turn-key project in sub-Saharan Africa. Yapi Merkezi went through a very detailed selection process to determine its suppliers and sub-contractors, and Bombardier was selected due to its proven track record and its successful, long-term cooperation with Yapi Merkezi on similar projects worldwide.”

www.railwaysafrica.com 39

AFRICA UPDATE: ETHIOPIA

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

Upon completion, the 447km railway line will comprise 389km of single track, together with the required station lines (18km) and maintenance lines (40km). The project involves construction of twelve new tunnels, three terminal stations with two platforms, and six intermediate stations with single platforms. According to the project design being implemented by Yapi Merkezi, an operation control tower will be built exclusively for the line. The overhead catenary will provide electricity for the main railway line, depot and stabling lines. Two maintenance facilities, a warehouse, generator rooms, a maintenance and painting workshop, a mechanical service building, wash services, as well as service and commercial buildings will be constructed adjacent to the railway stations.

Project Update According to the latest project progress report, released on 27 January, work on the Awash-Kombolcha-Hara Gebeya Railway Project has reached 53% completion:

Progress On The Awash-Kombolcha-Hara Gebeya Railway Project Geotechnical investigation

98%

Workshops (depots) building

40%

Radio towers

66%

Technical building

0%

Traction substation

0%

Station building

50%

Track works*

68%

Culverts (drainage)

90%

Tunnel works

50%

Bridge works

67%

Earth works

66%

Design

87%

Mobilisation Plan

85% 0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

*Sleeper production, rail transportation and track laying.

TOTAL FOR PROJECT

PORTION TO BE COMPLETED

PORTION COMPLETED

Mobilisation plan

100%

15%

85%

Design

100%

13%

87%

Earth works

90,000,000m³

30,000,000m³

60,000,000m³

Bridge works

65 bridges

30 bridges

35 bridges

Tunnel works

12 tunnels

6 tunnels

6 tunnels

Culverts (drainage)

31km

3km

28km

Track works

100%

32%

68%

Station building

10 stations

5 stations

5 stations

Traction substation

8 traction substations

8 traction substations

0 traction substation

Technical building

10 technical buildings

10 technical buildings

0 technical buildings

Radio towers

12 radio towers

4 radio towers

8 radio towers

Workshops (depots) building

100%

60%

40%

Geotechnical investigation

100%

2%

98%

40 www.railwaysafrica.com

1:2017

RAILWAYS AFRICA

AFRICA UPDATE: ETHIOPIA

HIGH CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

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Different tamping machine designs are available to meet every possible tamping requirement. Plasser South Africa provides specialist advice to select the right machine with regards to production, its position in the existing fleet, whether it should be plain or universal track, and if universal is selected; many different features must be considered such as 3rd rail lifting, split units, wheel base, etc.

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2016/02/11 10:44 AM www.railwaysafrica.com 41

CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

http://www.ourpolaris.com/2017/ars/

ASIA RAIL SUMMIT The fourth edition of Asia’s premier rail event, Asia Rail Summit, will be held on 25 and 26 May in Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand’s rail transport sector is set to expand over the next decade, with construction on a new high-speed railway line to begin this year, while upgrades to the country’s mass rapid transit system are already under way. These projects are set to improve domestic and regional connectivity, and boost economic growth. The projects are part of the government’s programme to

spend nearly 1.8 trillion baht ($US50.8 billion) on 20 major infrastructure projects by 2022.

Once under way, the new projects are predicted to boost Thailand’s economic growth rate by one percentage point, with knock-on benefits for the construction and tourism industries.

Southeast Asia is a key market for rail industry suppliers.

Asia Rail Summit 2017 promises to serve as the leading platform for major industry players to establish business strategies in Southeast Asia.

SARA CONFERENCE The Southern African Railway Association (SARA) will be holding the seventh edition of their annual conference and exhibition at Emperor’s Palace, Gauteng between 24 and 25 May.

http://www. sararailconference.com/

The event offers a conference programme that features a number of keynote speakers from private industry, government agencies and rail operators across the SADC region, as

well as a two-day exhibition that aims provide a platform for stakeholders in the region’s rail industry to showcase their products and services.

The event promises to be an excellent networking opportunity for a diverse range of stakeholders across the 12 member states, including information sharing, deal brokering and business development opportunities.

http://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/africa-rail/

AFRICA RAIL 2017 Brought to you by Terrapin, Africa Rail bills itself as the continent’s longest running and most successful rail event. The conference and exhibition, which enters its 20th edition this year, will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, between 13 and 14 June.

Africa Rail features a world-class conference, with a number of keynote speakers including industry leaders,

railway operators and policy makers. An extensive exhibition will be held concurrent to conference activities that bring together 250 exhibitors, spans three exhibition halls at the convention centre, and is visited by up to 6,500 attendees from 75 countries. The event offers multiple stakeholders in the rail industry the opportunity to come together, network and do business.

AFRICAN PORTS AND RAIL EVOLUTION The second edition of African Rail Evolution conference and exhibition will be held at the Durban International Convention Centre on 17 and 18 October, in tandem with the wellestablished African Ports Evolution Expo and related events.

http://www.rail-evolution. com/

Conference organisers indicate that the railway event will focus on the benefit of rail upgrade and maintenance projects by highlighting new technology, projects finance and localisation to

42 www.railwaysafrica.com

drive commercial success. The forum is geared toward an African audience, with the goal of accessing trade corridors and enhancing cross-border trade among African countries, as well as connecting the continent through a rail system that is reliable, efficient and safe. In addition to an engaging conference programme, the event offers companies the opportunity to exhibit their brands and showcase innovations.

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CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS

RAILWAYS AFRICA

1:2017

INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA Infrastructure Africa conference and exhibition, entering into its sixth edition this year, will be held that the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, between 21 and 22 August.

http://www.infrastructureafrica.com/

Infrastructure Africa is billed as the largest regional event dedicated to the subject of infrastructure and will focus on the integration of regional of infrastructure projects and opportunities across a myriad

of sectors including water, energy, health, transport and finance. The event offers a comprehensive conference programme and two-day exhibition, in addition to a dedicated business development forum aimed at bringing together private enterprise to explore new trading opportunities, establish new business networks, develop and form partnerships and plan a way forward to address some of the continent’s critical infrastructure needs.

http://www.ihha2017.co.za/

11TH INTERNATIONAL HEAVY HAUL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE The International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA), in partnership with Transnet and the South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA), will be hosting the 11th edition of the International Heavy Haul Association Conference, between 2-6 September, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa.

The of the theme conference: “Advancing Heavy Haul Technologies and Operations in a Changing World” aims to address recent market downturn characterised by

low commodity prices, low GDP growth rates, and the slowdown in demand for freight bulk commodities such as coal and iron ore. These adverse market conditions have had a significant impact on the profitability and sustainability of the railways. The IHHA conference will focus on research and innovations related to how heavy haul technologies and operations can be advanced to respond to the current market downturn positively, thereby contributing to the survival of the railways.

AFRICAN PORTS EVOLUTION - WEST AFRICA EDITION African Ports Evolution will be holding their West Africa Edition on 5-6 September 2017 in Accra, Ghana

http://www.west. portsevolution.com/

According to statistics, 95% of trade in the region is conducted through the ports in West Africa. For this reason, investors have recognised the value of West African ports and have invested millions of dollars into the region’s ports.

The West African Ports Evolution 2017 forum will give coastal and hinterland stakeholders proven, future-proofed

solutions and alternatives for demand-driven port expansion, enabling better planning for infrastructure development. Participants will take home solutions and alternatives that can be used to aid in the modernisation of their facilities, boost the integrity of their operations and make informed decisions to rehabilitate existing facilities or expand infrastructure.

The key driver for this forum is to enable and facilitate African solutions for African challenges and present and encourage the business case for a single window system.

http://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/east-africa-rail/

EAST AFRICA RAIL East Africa Rail will be held on 21 and 22 November, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

Leveraging on the experienced gained in delivering the industry leading Africa Rail event in South Africa for the past 20 years; event organisers Terrapin bring the East Africa edition to market in response to the rapid growth and development in the rail sector across the East African region in recent years. The event promises 44 www.railwaysafrica.com

to bring together buyers, sellers, funders and decision makers from across the East African region to support the development of a billion dollar railway industry in some of Africa’s fastest growing economies. The event offers a full conference programme as well as an extensive exhibition that will provide companies with the opportunity to introduce new products and innovations to this lucrative market.

Diarise these important Dates

AFRICA’S

MEGA TRANSPORT EVENT

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17 - 18 october 2017

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register as a delegate: Gain first-hand knowledge on industry gaps and meet with other key industry players: thando.manona@rail-evolution.com

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speak on the programme: Join this prestigious event as a profiled speaker: nevenka.ristic@rail-evolution.com

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