Use of Biodiesel in Railways and Its Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Land Use

Policy concern about local and global pollutant emissions from Class 1 rail freight is increasing. However, long-life characteristics of locomotives hinder mitigation opportunities typically available in other sectors. This paper focuses on the potential of soybean-based biodiesel to improve rail freights environmental performance. This paper will investigate differing rates of biodiesel penetration on total and fossil fuel energy consumption in both the well-to-pump and pump-to-wheel cycles estimating the impact on four criteria and three Greenhouse Gas (GHG) pollutants. The latter is of particular interest as the impact of this sector on global climate change has largely been overlooked. In addition, we estimate resultant potential land use impacts. The authors find that carbon dioxide emission reductions are modest and they come at the cost of increased levels of local pollutants. In addition, large-scale biodiesel penetration will likely result in significant land use changes. This suggests policymakers will have to look to other mitigation strategies (i.e. mandating emissions from existing rail operations or facilitating second-generation biodiesel for rail).