CN On Track to Lower Carbon Intensity
Written by Chevron Renewable Energy Group
CN On Track to Lower Carbon Intensity
Canada’s largest railway, CN, has nearly 20,000 route-miles of track, moving more than C$250 billion of goods every year. As a leader in striving to reduce carbon intensity, the company has set bold carbon emissions reductions goals, which include a 43% reduction in carbon intensity as compared to a 2019 baseline, and reaching net zero by 2050.
A key part of making these goals a reality is a transition to renewable fuels. For that, CN has turned to Chevron Renewable Energy Group.
Testing 100% Renewable Fuels
The test began in the winter of 2022, when CN transitioned a fleet of locomotives to run exclusively on PuriDTM, a next-generation biodiesel from Chevron Renewable Energy Group. CN chose its location in Greenville, Pennsylvania to evaluate how renewable fuels perform in cold weather climates over time. Through a close partnership with Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company and one of the largest manufacturers of freight locomotives worldwide, the testing by CN and Chevron Renewable Energy Group shows continuing momentum for the companies’ shared lower carbon goals.
A Lower Carbon Future Now
The transition to 100% renewable fuel levels has been seamless for CN and its customers since initial testing began. According to François Bélanger, CN’s carbon transition director, prior concerns about cold-weather operations have not been experienced so far, with trains running at full capacity with no issues.
