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One of U.S. Steel’s two new
battery-electric locomotives, converted from diesel switchers, is shown in a
screen shot from a U.S. Steel video.
PITTSBURGH — U.S. Steel has begun using two battery-electric
locomotives, converted from diesel-electric switchers, at its Mon Valley Works,
the company has announced.
The conversions were performed by Innovative Rail Technologies,
a Washington, D.C.-based company that provides lithium-ion power systems for
the locomotive market, and are working at two of the four facilities that make
up the Mon Valley Works: the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pa., where basic
steel production takes place, and the coke-manufacturing Clairton plant in
Clairton, Pa. U.S. Steel spent more than $2.3 million on the conversions, with
additional funding coming from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection.
The locomotives move steel, coke, scrap metal, iron ore, and
other materials needed in the production process. U.S. Steel says they are
expected to reduce airbone particulate matter by .385 tons, equivalent to the
emissions from 7,000 gasoline passenger vehicles, and will reduce the
facilities’ use of diesel fuel by 40,000 gallons annually.
“Mon Valley Works is the
first industrial site to deploy this technology to reduce small particulate
matter emissions from its locomotive fleet,” Scott Buckiso, senior vice
president and chief manufacturing officer, U. S. Steel, said in a press release.
“Advancing our ‘Best for All’ strategy
means producing solutions that benefit our customers and communities, people
and planet. This includes investing in technological advancements at our
facilities.”
IRT, established in 2019, offers customers its ATLAS (Advanced
Technology Lithium-ion Adaptive System) power technology and works through a
national network of locomotive remanufacturers. It can also provide ATLAS kits
directly to customers for in-house rebuilds. More information on the company is
available at its website.
The U.S. Steel locomotives were unveiled at an Oct. 30 event at
the Mon Valley Works’ Clairton Plant.