Vale, Wabtec to test ethanol use in locomotives on the Vitória-Minas Railway in Brazil

Vale (NYSE: VALE) and locomotive manufacturer Wabtec Corporation announced a partnership on Monday to develop studies on a dual-fuel engine that can use both diesel and a mixture of diesel and ethanol. The studies will initially be conducted in a laboratory to validate the concept and evaluate performance, emissions reduction, and the ethanol/diesel substitution rate, the miner said.

The studies and tests are expected to take place by 2027, for evaluation of future use in the Vitória-Minas Railway (EFVM) fleet, in Southeastern Brazil.

The agreement to use ethanol, a renewable fuel that replaces fossil diesel, is part of a series of joint initiatives with Wabtec to advance Vale’s railway operations decarbonization program.

Last March, the companies announced an agreement to purchase 50 locomotives equipped with Evolution Series engines, prepared to operate with up to 25% biodiesel mixed with diesel. In the coming years, Vale and Wabtec said they will conduct a series of tests in an attempt to further increase this percentage. 

“Innovative initiatives such as these, for the adoption of alternative fuels in our locomotives, are part of Vale’s commitment to accelerate the decarbonization of our rail network,” Vale EVP, Operations Carlos Medeiros said in a news release. “In 2024, Vale’s rail network accounted for 14% of the company’s carbon emissions.”