ecomagination

Revolutionary technology for the CIS region

Kazakhstan's railway system plays a huge part in its developing economy. Because both China and Russia depend on Kazakhstan's locomotives for transportation and international trade routes, it is imperative that they have a dependable and cost-efficient railway system. However, Kazakhstan's Soviet-era locomotives were extremely energy inefficient and unreliable, producing high levels of carbon dioxide.

Kazakhstan partnered with GE to build a new fleet of locomotives designed specifically to improve the efficiency and quality of their railway system. GE started with its typical Evolution™ Series locomotive, a product of US$ 200 million and six years of research that was launched in 2002, and added new energy-saving technologies to create the Kazakhstan Evolution™ Locomotive.

The Kazakhstan Evolution™ Locomotive is among the first to meet the United States EPA's Tier II emissions standards. Its dual-cab model features an interior walkway that bridges both ends of the locomotive. Traction motors on each of the six axles are powered with an alternating current (AC) – a first for the Commonwealth of Independent States region. GE’s engineers also designed a centralized "smart display" to deliver pertinent information through a straightforward, easy-to-understand system to honor Kazakhstan's request for a user-friendly locomotive.

The Kazakhstan Evolution™ Locomotive's 12-cylinder diesel engine produces the same 4,400 horsepower as its 16-cylinder predecessor. And it accomplishes this feat using less fuel, delivering significant savings over the life of the diesel locomotive. The smaller engine will also create a 3 percent to 5 percent reduction in the amount of fuel used – around 189,000 fewer gallons of fuel in the engine's lifetime. This reduction in fuel consumption is estimated to save more than US$ 378,000 per train and reduce harmful emissions by more than 40 percent.

• GE Signs Contract to Supply 310 Evolution™ Series Locomotives to Kazakhstan