UGL and GE Transportation Celebrate the Australian Launch of the PowerHaul Series Locomotive at AusRail
Sydney: UGL Limited (ASX: UGL) and GE Transportation, a unit of General Electric
Company (NYSE: GE), today introduced its new PowerHaul Series locomotive
(PH37ACmai) at AusRail Plus 2011 in Brisbane, Australia. AusRail is the largest rail
exhibition in the southern hemisphere attracting more than 4,000 attendees and over 300
exhibitors.
The 3700HP AC locomotive is designed to be UGL and GE’s most fuel-efficient and
emissions capable diesel-electric freight locomotive. The locomotive’s technical specification
will meet both heavy haul and high speed freight requirements across the Queensland and
Western Australian narrow gauge rail networks.
UGL Managing Director & CEO Richard Leupen said: “We have undertaken significant
investment, along with GE, to develop a narrow gauge locomotive product that represents a
considerable advancement in locomotive power technology. The PowerHaul Series
locomotive will provide customers with substantial improvements in haulage capability,
emissions, fuel-efficiency, power and reliability.”
“Even before the announcement of the carbon tax in Australia, meeting emissions
requirements was a critical consideration in the locomotive design process and was driven
by the increasing focus of emissions and new regulatory requirements from other parts of
the world” added Mr Leupen.
The PowerHaul Series has been designed to meet the emissions requirements stipulated by
EU Stage IIIA and can be adapted to meet Stage IIIB. The PowerHaul Series reduces CO2
emissions by up to 6% compared to current operating fleet averages. The locomotive can
also deliver a 6% reduction in fuel consumption compared to current operating fleet
averages in its class.
GE Transportation has successfully delivered PowerHaul Series locomotives to the UK for
Freightliner who labelled it the Class 70. The UK version of the PowerHaul is somewhat
different in appearance to the PH37ACmai to be built by UGL in their Australian based
manufacturing facilities, though the technology employed “under the skin” is the same. The
deployment of the Class 70 has enabled Freightliner to haul longer trains with quicker
running times for both coal and intermodal freight operations in the UK.
The PowerHaul Series will be the second locomotive available to the Australian rail market
from UGL’s portfolio of freight rolling stock products to be GE ecomagination qualified.
William (Mickey) Kovacs, GE Transportation’s Managing Director ANZ & Asia Pacific,
explains: “Ecomagination is a GE-wide commitment to developing technology designed to
help customers satisfy environmental challenges, to maximize performance and reduce
cost.”
“GE has developed a wide variety of rail-specific, environmentally capable technologies
which are ecomagination qualified and available through UGL in Australia. These include
among others the Evolution Series locomotive, and now, the PowerHaul Series locomotive.”
Since 2008, UGL and GE have delivered close to seventy advanced heavy haul Evolution
Series locomotives to Rio Tinto Iron Ore who recently ordered an additional thirteen to
support its mining operations in Australia’s Pilbara region.
Mr Leupen said: “The introduction of the PowerHaul Series locomotive is another example of
UGL’s commitment to provide customers with cleaner, more efficient rail technologies in the
Australian resources and freight industries and is testament to our longstanding partnership
with GE which provides customers with access to the latest technological advancements.
22 November 2011 - Aurecon, has appointed Chris Hoskin and Ahsan Khan to help develop its rolling stock capability across Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Auckland’s new EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) projects, as well as Transport for NSW, RailCorp 2040, Western Express, and Queensland Rail Traveltrain strategy development projects will bring additional depth of expertise to Aurecon’s team and clients,” said Ness.
