Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Alternative Fuels for Locomotives in the U.S. Freight Rail Sector.

ABSTRACT: Freight rail is more energy-efficient than truck transport over long-haul distances, offering a low-energy and emissions-intensive option for transporting freight. This study evaluates techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment of seven alternative unblended fuels for freight locomotive engines─biodiesel, renewable diesel (RD), bio-oils, methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), ethanol, and ammonia─across 16 fuel pathways utilizing soybean, corn, woody biomass, renewable hydrogen, and waste sources, e.g., sludge, manure, and industrial CO₂, and compares these to conventional diesel. The minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) ranged from $2.05 to $8.27 per diesel gallon equivalent (2020 US dollars), with biocrude and RDs produced from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sludge having th

SUBMITTER: Huang TY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12329703 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature