As urbanization, digitalization and climate change continue to fuel a new age of sustainable transport, Antonio Colla, Electrification Global Rail Segment Leader for ABB, explores the power distribution innovations that are making it possible.

By 2050, 68 percent of the world’s 9.7 billion population will live in urban areas1, meaning transport will play an even more critical role in promoting connectivity, trade, and economic growth. As one of the world’s largest sources of carbon emissions, the shift towards a sustainable approach to transport will not only be essential to making cities resilient to future challenges but also to tackling climate change.

That shift has already begun, with many economies around the world accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, integrating more renewable energy sources into transport networks, and investing in smart, connected transport infrastructure.

To maintain this trajectory and ensure urban transport networks continue to meet current and future needs, there are two important power distribution innovations city planners and transport industry leaders must keep in mind.

Modular solutions: How to fast-track the sustainable transport revolution

The latest modular power solutions are designed to provide a rapid response for even the shortest delivery frameworks and the most complex projects.

As they are prefabricated, pre-engineered and pre-tested, modular power supply substations, for example, can be delivered and installed with next to no downtime for transport network operators, reducing deployment time by up to 50 percent.

Larger urban transportation projects might also want to consider an eHouse, which is a custom-engineered, prefabricated, modular outdoor enclosure designed to house a range of electrical and automation equipment.

As construction, testing and assembly is all done before installation, an eHouse can be delivered as a ‘drop in’ solution, providing a boon for busy rail operators, who are focused on keeping trains going around the clock with minimum downtime and traffic disruption.

Energy storage: powering transport sustainably

Building the future of transport is not just about speed; operators must also ensure their systems are powered in the most sustainable way possible. Progress is underway, with three-quarters of passenger rail transport and half of rail freight already powered by electricity, including ABB projects in Warsaw and Toronto. But many other opportunities for the transport sector to lead the way in renewable integration, energy efficiency and asset optimization remain.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are a proven way for operators to improve the overall efficiency of their transport network. These systems not only enable them to manage energy costs by leveraging peak shaving, load shifting and maximization of self-consumption, they can also provide critical backup power, preventing revenue losses due to production outages.

ABB’s railway energy storage solutions capture and store the surplus of braking energy for other trains or reinject it back into the feeding grid. Through repeating this cycle thousands of times a day, railway operators can reduce their energy use significantly.

There is no other form of mass transport that has greater potential to support net zero goals while simultaneously meeting the evolving needs of a rapidly urbanizing world. If city planners want to keep pace with the growing demand for mass transport while accepting their responsibility to keep emissions down, they have no choice but to fast-track the shift to sustainable transport.

1. UN World Urbanization Prospects, https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html