Our trains in the Netherlands became the first in the world to run entirely on wind energy in 2017, giving passengers the choice of traveling without emitting CO2. NS uses approximately 1.2 TWh of electricity to power its trains. To ensure the provision of this electricity, NS has inked a contract with Eneco.
Can a train be powered by a windmill?
The Netherlands has always had a love affair with wind energy, as evidenced by their magnificent windmills. Wind, which was once used to pump water or crush grain, is now assisting Dutch commuters in getting to work. Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), one of their national railway firms, stated earlier this week that all of its electric trains had been running on wind energy since January 1st.
For numerous years, they have collaborated with Eneco, a’sustainable energy supplier’ based in the Netherlands. By January 2018, they hoped to have all NS trains running on wind-generated electricity. “As a result, we were able to achieve our goal a year ahead of schedule,” spokesman Ton Boon told AFP. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, turbines capable of generating 586 MW of power were constructed between January and December, setting a new record for the country’s wind industry. In 2016, Dutch wind made news once more when a 700 MW offshore windfarm near Borssele became the world’s most ‘cost-effective’. These wind farms, as well as those in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Finland, aided NS and Eneco in meeting their goal so far ahead of schedule.
In the Netherlands, are all trains electric?
The national railway operator of the Netherlands, NS, has announced that all of its electric passenger trains are now powered entirely by wind energy. NS originally set a goal for a wind-powered train fleet in 2015, but they’ve already achieved it a year ahead of schedule, well ahead of their 2018 deadline.
Is wind energy used in Holland?
There were at least 2,525 onshore wind turbines in operation at the end of 2015, generating a total of 3,000 megawatts (MW) of power. This amounts to about 5% of the overall demand in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands must have 6,000 MW of onshore wind capacity by 2020. The Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth specifies this. This means that capacity will have to be boosted by more than 3,000 MW. With an average capacity of 2 to 3 MW, the Netherlands will require between 1,000 and 1,500 additional onshore wind turbines.
In the Netherlands, how do trains work?
In Holland, you can travel by rail using a single-use chipcard or an OV-chipkaart (smart card). For sporadic travelers, the single-use chipcard is ideal. It’s available for purchase at any NS ticketing machine or service desk. Chipcards for single usage are always 1 euro more per journey. You are not required to charge the card with credit, but you must check in and out.
We recommend purchasing a ‘anonymous OV-chipkaart’ if you expect to ride the railway frequently while in Holland. They are available for purchase at NS ticketing machines or the service desk. For an anonymous OV-chipkaart, there is a one-time cost of EUR 7.50. (which can also be used on buses, trams, metros and ferries). You must charge credit to your anonymous OV-chipkaart prior to traveling, which can be done at an NS ticking machine. If you want to travel by train, your OV-chipkaart must have at least 20 euros in credit! Every trip must start with a check-in and end with a check-out. On the station, look for the OV-chipkaart pillars.
Are there any wind-powered trains in the Netherlands?
The national railway company NS has announced that all electric trains in the Netherlands are now powered by wind energy. “Since January 1, all of our trains have run on wind energy,” said Ton Boon, a spokeswoman for NS.
Are wind turbines used to power Dutch trains?
Every electric train on the NS network in the Netherlands currently runs entirely on wind energy. NS Dutch Railways has teamed up with energy provider Eneco to use its wind turbines to power all of the company’s electric trains.
Are Dutch trains powered by renewable energy sources?
All trains in the Netherlands currently run entirely on wind energy. Screenshot courtesy of NS/YouTube In the Netherlands, trains were supposed to run 100% on renewable energy by 2018. Officials, however, appear to have been able to beat that goal by a year.
In the Netherlands, what fuels trains?
The trains in the Netherlands are powered entirely by wind energy, which is unsurprising. After all, the country is known around the world for its beautiful windmills! Windmills were first used to generate energy to pump water or crush grain. Turbines now dot the landscape, producing electricity to assist Dutch commuters in getting to work.
Since January 1, 2017, all of the electric trains operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), one of the country’s national railway companies, have been powered by wind energy. For several years, they had been collaborating with Eneco, a Dutch “sustainable energy supplier,” to make this happen.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, they also met their objective of using 100% renewable energy a year ahead of schedule. And the country’s brilliance doesn’t end there!
According to the Global Wind Energy Council, between January and December 2015, record-breaking turbines capable of generating 586 MW of power were erected. Then, in 2016, a 700 MW offshore wind farm in Borssele became the most ‘cost-effective’ in the world, bringing Dutch wind back into the spotlight. NS and Eneco were able to meet their aim so far ahead of time thanks to their previous accomplishments.
The quantity of electricity required to run these trains is also not insignificant. On a daily basis, NS runs roughly 5,500 train trips. The company transports 600,000 people each day and uses 1.2 billion kWh of electricity per year. This is enough electricity to power all of the homes in Amsterdam, the country’s capital. The idea that they can generate so much energy solely from wind is enormous!
The electricity sent to the train powers the train’s lighting, air conditioning, and traction motors, which spin the train’s wheels. NS is the world’s first rail company to run its whole fleet on renewable energy. According to the firms, one hour of wind turbine operation can power a train for 120 kilometers.
The Netherlands has more than 2,000 wind turbines scattered out across the country. The energy generated by these wind turbines is enough to power 2.4 million homes. We are in the midst of a renewable energy revolution, and the Netherlands is one of the top countries leading by example.
Are there any trains that run on solar power?
In 2012, as part of China’s 12th Five-Year Plan, the Shenzhen region devised a plan to use solar panels to power dozens of public infrastructures, including train stations. Leading trade magazines lauded the connection of a small network of 20,000 solar photovoltaic panels with an output capacity of 6.68 MW to what was then the new Hongqiao station on the Peking-Shanghai high-speed line in 2010.
Following this deployment, there was a desire to exploit the consumption of these railway stations as a beachhead for solar-powered trains, with the goal of jumping to direct electrification of trains in a few years or decades. This journey, however, will take several decades.
Aldershot railway
A train that is now almost 70 years old and operated as a tourist attraction in New South Wales, Australia, was the world’s first 100 percent solar train. North Byron Resort, which refurbished the railway in 2017, placed solar panels on its roof, which provide the train with 6.6 kW of power. The train can travel the 3-kilometer distance between North Beach and Byron Beach stations at a stupidly low speed (18 km/h), making it ideal for relaxation.
Solar trains in India
India announced an ambitious national plan in the same year to reduce its reliance on a highly polluting electricity mix. A substantial chunk of the country’s electric fleet, which is backed by the country’s Ministry of Science and Technology, includes solar panels on the roofs of the trains, which are capable of supplying roughly 15% of the energy required throughout the journey.
Do windmills in the Netherlands generate electricity?
One operational Dutch windmill (Veldkamps Meul’n in Bellingwolde) is said to produce 18kW of useable mechanical energy. You could get up to 80% of it 14kW or so in electricity if this was connected to an efficient generator. The sail diameter of this windmill is 20 meters, although modern wind turbines for large-scale power generation are usually at least 40 meters across. These produce around 500kW of power. If we assume that power generation increases in direct proportion to the square of the diameter, a scaled-down modern turbine would still produce 125kW. That’s approximately a ninefold increase in efficiency.