The first day of the transport & logistics fair in the Bavarian city of Munich has brought several rolling stock announcements. Among them is the news that in 2025, the Port of Duisburg will get two emission-free shunting locomotives manufactured by the Vossloh Rolling Stock plant in Kiel.
Duisburger Hafen AG, the owner of duisport rail, is currently erecting a new container terminal in Europe’s largest inland port. Its operations will be largely climate-neutral, including emission-free shunting locomotives where now diesels are in use. “Our concept also includes shunting locomotives with hydrogen drives”, says Hans-Georg Christiansen, Executive Director and Head of Rail Operations at duisport rail. “Some of the diesel locomotives currently in operation will be replaced by hybrid models. We have high hopes for hydrogen as a future alternative to vehicles shunting outside the electrified rail network. These new Modula locomotives are ideally suited to this strategy because they can be perfectly calibrated to the respective shunting operations, and they contribute enormous synergy potential when combined with the battery-powered Modula EBB version, two of which are going into service at the Port of Duisburg in 2025,” he adds.
Vossloh Rolling Stock has developed a new locomotive platform, Modula, presented first at Innotrans in 2022. It is offered in various configurations. One of them is battery and diesel (BDD), 50 of which were ordered by DB Cargo with an option for 200 more locomotives. Leasing company Northrail ordered 50 electric and battery locomotives (EBB) in June 2021, with scheduled delivery in 2024. In the same year and with the same configuration, Rail Force One should get locomotives aimed for shunting in the Port of Rotterdam. Schweerbau and IGE Bahn will also purchase small numbers of EBB versions. CRRC ZELC has owned the manufacturer since the summer of 2019.
