Thanks to its programme to save energy and increase its energy efficiency, OJSC Russian Railways reduced the cost of fuel and energy resources by 3.4 billion roubles in 2018, one of the best results in recent years.
The Company reduced the energy intensity of its production activities in 2018 by 0.9% compared to 2017 and by 8.2% compared to 2015. As a result, its energy intensity fell to 66.2 kg of standard fuel per 10,000 ton-km net.
This performance meant that Russian Railways exceeded the target set by Order No. 586 issued by the Federal Tariff Service on 31 March 31 2015, which required a reduction of 0.7% in energy intensity compared to 2017.
According to the International Energy Agency, Russian Railways has the most energy efficient rail freight system in the world.
In 2018, the share of rail freight moved by electrical power rose to 86.5%, an increase of 1% compared to 2015.
The most effective energy-saving measure in 2018 came from the improvement of train management methods, including a reduction in the idle time locomotives spent in a heated state while waiting for work. This reduced costs by 1.14 billion roubles.
Improvements in the utilisation of locomotives, including the better condition of the rolling stock from the delivery and operation of modern high-performance locomotives in the main freight-intensive areas, enabled the Company to achieve savings of more than 1 billion roubles in 2018.
The main freight routes, with a total length of 47,600 km, have been converted to energy-optimal train timetables on the Russian rail network.
The level of return to the contact network of electrical energy recovered by electric locomotives for its reuse by other trains increased to 2.6 billion kWh in 2018, an increase of 8.7% on 2017 and of 23.4% compared to 2015.
On the Moscow Central Ring (MCR), the proportion of energy reused by the Lastochka electric trains exceeded 60% of the amount of electricity supplied to the MCR’s contact network.
The work to optimise operating modes and modernise the heating systems of stationary objects and facilities at OJSC Russian Railways enabled savings of 378 million roubles in 2018.
The use of energy-efficient lighting fixtures, the optimisation of the operating modes of lighting systems at railway stations, station parks, industrial and administrative buildings and storage facilities, as well as the introduction of LED technology, resulted in total energy savings of 66.2 million kWh and monetary savings in the amount of 236.9 million roubles.
In 2018, Russian Railways saved a total of 511.5 million kWh of electricity, 34,800 tons of diesel fuel, 800 tons of petrol, 10,300 tons of fuel oil, 10 million cubic metres of natural gas, 73,400 GCall of thermal energy and 15,400 tons of coal.
In addition, the energy saving programme resulted in a decrease of greenhouse gas emissions of more than 400,000 tons of CO2 in 2018.