U.S. Steel introduces first-ever electric battery-powered locomotive in Mon Valley Works
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- U.S. Steel says a battery-powered locomotive will improve air quality in the Mon Valley.
Before a group of steelworkers, elected officials and friends in the Mon Valley, U.S. Steel announced its latest step in reducing emissions to net zero by 2050.
"The future of transportation is electric, and today U.S. Steel's future really is on track," said Kurt Barshick, the vice president of U.S. Steel Mon Valley Works.
The focus on Monday was U.S. Steel's conversion of a diesel locomotive at the Clairton Coke Works to an electric battery-operated locomotive.
"Here we are unveiling the first battery-operated powered locomotive that's used in industry, a switcher locomotive that stays here at the plant," said Clairton Coke Works plant manager Mark Jeffrey.
Jeffrey says this region will benefit because of a significant reduction in local pollution now generated by diesel locomotives -- "the reduction of 40,000 gallons of diesel fuel consumed by a diesel locomotive."
U.S. Steel CEO Dave Burritt did not want to talk on camera but he credits a public-private collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Steel, the United Steelworkers' union, and Innovated Rail Technology, the company that did the conversion.
"Typically what the rail industry does is continue to rebuild their locomotives every 25 years or so," said Ira Dorfman with Innovated Rail Technology. "Traditionally, they just kept the diesel engine and rehabilitated it, but instead we put in these battery packs. This one is capable of running for three days without recharging."
State Sen. Jim Brewster says the steel industry needs to speak up louder about its efforts at producing clean green steel.
"Folks who don't appreciate our industry, don't see progress, I think we need to talk about it more," Brewster said.
This locomotive is at the Clairton Coke Works, but another one is at the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock. Maybe to remind folks of their progress, the newly refurbished locomotive declares "zero emissions" on the side of its car.
So what does zero emissions really mean? U.S. Steel says it's equivalent to taking 7,000 dirty vehicles off the streets each year in the Mon Valley.
