German trains run on wind energy

"We can’t, of course, give a specific energy quality for the individual sections,” a spokesman for DB Energie said. “It’s clear, however, that sustainable energy for Deutsche Bahn’s trains on the upgraded connecting section between Lübeck and Puttgarden will be important. DB's objective is for DB’s rail traffic to be CO₂-free by 2050. An interim target is to increase the share of sustainable energy within the so-called rail-electricity mix to at least 30 per cent by 2020, which will clearly have a positive effect on the climate balance.” 

"Our intention is to reduce specific CO₂ emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 compared to 2006", explains Dr. Volker Kefer, Director of Rail Technology, Services and Infrastructure at Deutsche Bahn.  

Deutsche Bahn trains already run on sustainable energy from hydropower plants and 25 wind turbine farms. "Last year, the proportion of sustainable energy at Deutsche Bahn totalled almost 20 per cent, i.e. 2-3 per cent more than the national grid," says a spokesman for DB Netze Energie. As a result, trains emit 40,000 tonnes less CO₂ per year.  

The increased use of power from wind energy and the fact that industry has now found a way of storing wind energy will all reduce CO₂ emissions significantly. 

At the hybrid power station in Prenzlau in Brandenburg, the latest technology has enabled the flexible use of wind energy, independent of the weather. Using hydrogen, surplus energy is stored at two block CHP plants, with the biogas being burned to generate electricity as required. This technology is hybrid because it combines different types of sustainable energy and makes storage possible.