Catskill Mountain Railroad goes green
SOURCE: Catskill Mountain Railroad
June 14, 2024
BY Catskill Mountain Railroad
With global warming and climate change at the forefront of our news recently, the Catskill Mountain Railroad is helping to fight back. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and harmful emissions from the use of diesel fuel it is now running its locomotives on 100% biodiesel. The Catskill Mountain Railroad is the first tourist railroad in the U.S. to convert to 100% biodiesel and shows the CMRR’s commitment to Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger’s leadership to create the boldest climate agenda in New York State.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the use of 100% biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) emissions by 74% compared to regular diesel fuel. Additionally, it reduces carbon monoxide and particulate emissions by nearly 50%, and hydrocarbon emissions by nearly 70%. Notably, the composition of the remaining particulates is much less adverse than that from normal diesel as they are biodegradable.
The CMRR is being supplied the biodiesel by NetZero Biofuels, a Hudson Valley startup founded by local entrepreneur Dave Davenport and located near Newburgh. NetZero converts thousands of gallons of byproduct soybean oil from farms in Syracuse, New York, which are treated at their production facility in nearby Rock Tavern, New York. With the CMRR being NetZero’s first major commercial customer, it is a win-win for both businesses by supporting a growing Hudson Valley supplier of green energy as well as making the Catskill Mountain Railroad a leader in sustainability in the US railroad tourism industry.
Advertisement
The Catskill Mountain Railroad, named Best Tourist Attraction of 2023 by the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce, is working hard to help achieve the green carbon neutral goals being encouraged by Ulster County in the environmentally safe operation of its tourist trains. More information on the CMRR and its Sustainability Program can be found on their website at https://catskillmountainrailroad.com/sustainability/
Advertisement
Related Stories
Phillips 66 released Q1financial results on April 25, reporting reduced pre-tax earnings for its renewable fuels segment despite increased production volumes. The changing tax credit structure is one factor that impacted earnings.
EVA Air announced the signing of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) procurement agreements with three major suppliers: AEG FUELS from the U.S., COSMO Oil Marketing Co. Ltd. from Japan, and Formosa Petrochemical Corp. from Taiwan.
As the demand for fleet decarbonization continues to intensify, Optimus Technologies on April 22 announced the production launch of its latest Vector System, a fuel system technology that enables heavy-duty engines to operate on B100.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on April 22 announced it has awarded a $75,000 grant to University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative, which intends to make camelina a crop of the future that will help the state develop a SAF industry.
Aemetis Inc. has announced that its subsidiary in India, Universal Biofuels, on April 24 began shipments to fulfill multiple orders for more than 33,000 kiloliters of biodiesel from the government-owned oil marketing companies.
Upcoming Events
