High speed trains spin wind turbines to generate power in first UK trial
For centuries, the gusts of air produced by England’s trains as they traveled around the country have by now been wasted.
In a first in the UK, rail company LNER has installed three experimental wind turbines alongside the track to control the turbulent airflow created by passing high-speed trains and convert it into electricity.
The turbines, named “Windiana Jones”, “Sir Spins-a-lot” and “AC Breezy”, have been installed along the East Coast Main Line by LNER and clean energy infrastructure firm Treeva at Hitachi Rail’s Craigentinny depot in Edinburgh.
The five-foot tall devices, made from “upcycled materials”, are the first turbines to be operated alongside a mainline in the UK. They do not require grid connection and their design allows easy installation on hitherto unused railway land close to the tracks.
The trial could pave the way for such technology to be rolled out “across Britain’s rail network”, according to LNER.
In this phase, the clean energy produced by the turbines will be harnessed, measured and used to power a range of devices, providing a better understanding of the potential energy generation opportunities available to rail operators.
“A single turbine can produce enough energy to power a third of a small station’s lighting needs, as well as four CCTV cameras or two passenger information displays,” LNER said. “Five turbines are capable of reducing more than 12,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions every year, which is equivalent to planting 500 trees.”
The project is a product of the Future Labs rail industry innovation scheme, which matches rail operators with technology start-ups to tackle industry challenges. Treeva, which graduated from the program and won the People’s Choice Award, is working with LNER to adapt its technology to railway environments.
“Our goal is to transform the way transportation infrastructure is run,” said Anjali Devadasan, co-founder and CEO of Treeva. “By capturing the energy generated by passing trains, we can transform unused land into a meaningful source of clean energy and enable sustainable systems that pay for themselves within months.”
LNER’s Mark Haymer described the trial as a “really exciting” step that could make rail travel “even greener”.
“Developing new ideas and solutions in any industry is always a challenge, but thanks to the strong partnership between Treeva, Hitachi, Network Rail and LNER we have delivered a successful and safe installation at Craigentinny. We look forward to seeing how the turbines perform over the next six months,” he said.
A separate scheme was announced in 2019, where a solar panel at Aldershot would provide some of the power needed to pass trains. The project, called ‘Riding the Sun’, has been a success and has sparked huge interest in using more solar energy on train lines with Network Rail announced last year He said they were looking for a supplier.
