Wind powered trains coming to Britain soon

We’ve seen everything from carbon emitting steam engine trains to the recent electric ones that have proved to be a boon for the environment. Taking the green evolution a step further, this time around trains are all set to utilize wind energy. In an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint of electrified railways, Department for Energy and Climate Change has part-funded a new project that will help in producing green energy using specially designed wind turbine by British manufacturer X-Wind Power.

In England electric railways could soon be powered up to 70% using wind energy. This project is part of a two-year trial under which an 80kW wind turbine will be designed and developed based on X-Wind. Before we see the wind-powered trains run in full swing, there’ll be many regional tests performed along Network Rail’s tracks. If the underway trail is a success, wind turbines alongside the tracks would be a common sight. It is estimated that this green initiative will potentially generation nearly 2,200 GWh of carbon-free electricity annually.

X-Wind Power’s new wind turbine “XW-80” is being called the world’s most advanced vertical axis wind turbine. Capable of being installed at a density of 1MW per kilometer on long linear sites, this revolutionary wind turbine is designed for high performance and exceptional reliability. Another very interesting fact about this vertical axis wind turbine is that it is nearly noise-free and inexpensive.

Via: ImpactLab