Per Richter Jonsen has driven for over 50 years on the road in heavy diesel trucks. But a few weeks ago he got to experience what he never thought he would experience in his working life. To drive a fully electric train. – I would never have thought that. But it’s going really well, says the experienced driver to news. For the first time, two electric wagon trains are now running between Nova Sea in Lovund and the freight terminal in Mo i Rana. But there could have been far more, the industry itself believes. High prices Today, an electric train costs much more than a diesel train. – The electric tractors cost 2.4 times as much as a diesel tractor and then we have received support from Enova of NOK 839,000, says managing director of Meyership, Leif Sagen to news. Meyership now has two electric railcars, but 25 railcars and distribution vehicles in the portfolio. The goal is for everyone to be electric. – But without proper support schemes, we will be dependent on the diesel tractors for many more years, he states. It is great to see the electric wagon trains enter the terminal in Mo i Rana. Photo: Frank Nygård / news The government’s ambition is for 50 per cent of the trucks in Norway to be emission-free by 2030. Today there are few support schemes from the government. 50 per cent of the transport industry must be emission-free by 2030 – this is how they will reach the goal In the Climate Plan for 2021-2030 (Meld. St. 13, 2020-2021) an ambition has been announced to halve the non-quota-obligatory emissions from the transport sector by 2030 through the measures presented in the climate plan. In addition, a number of target figures have been set for new zero-emission vehicles, see, among other things, the Government’s climate status and plan. These state that: New passenger cars and light vans must be zero-emission vehicles in 2025. New city buses must be zero-emission vehicles or use biogas in 2025. By 2030, new heavier vans, 75 per cent of new long-distance buses and 50 per cent of new trucks must be zero-emission vehicles. By 2030, the distribution of goods in the largest city centers must be nearly zero-emission. Improvements in technological maturity in the vehicle segments, so that zero-emission vehicles become competitive with conventional solutions, are the basis for the target figures. The government presented the Climate Status and Plan for the first time in autumn 2022 together with the state budget for 2023. This is a plan that will be updated annually. The purpose of presenting a climate status and plan with the state budget is to link the emissions budget together with the state budget, so that we can manage more effectively towards the climate targets in 2030. Source: The government Apart from Enova support of up to 40 per cent of the additional costs, Enova has a offers that support the development of charging stations. – If we get a proper support scheme in place, we could get an electric car fleet quite immediately. It is not the will of the industry that matters, says Sagen. In 2021, heavy vehicles accounted for emissions of 2.9 million tonnes of CO₂. This corresponds to a third of all emissions from road traffic. A start Until November 2022, Enova has provided support for 420 electric trucks and 115 electric buses. – We switch to electric when we see that it is financially sound, Sagen points out. Now the two wagon trains will transport salmon between the farming facility at Nova sea and the freight terminal in Mo i Rana, before it is moved onto the Nordlandsbanen for onward journeys to Europe. – Seeing the electric wagon trains enter the terminal today was great fun, says commercial director of Nova Sea Bjørn Olvik. Sales manager Bjørn Olvik at Nova Sea. The company based on the Helgeland coast is one of the ten largest in the country. Photo: Nova Sea There are currently 14 wagon trains with salmon from here to Mo i Rana a day. The number of freight trains has increased from one to four a day in recent years. There are 30,000 fewer lorries on the roads, and now two of those that must be on the road are emission-free. – It may not affect that much yet, but it is a start, says Olvik. The government: – Provides support In an e-mail to news, the Ministry of Transport writes that the government provides support for the phasing in of zero-emission solutions in the transport sector. In the Climate Status and Plan, the government announced increased support for technology development and early market introduction through increased allocations to Enova. – The government is also concerned that the climate policy should create and preserve jobs and ensure fair distribution, writes the ministry and points out that Enova received NOK 750 million in increased allocations over the state budget for 2022, and a further NOK 1.4 billion in the state budget for 2023 – Will there be more support for the industry? – We cannot go out with any information about what is in the future state budget. We refer here to the annual budget processes and budget resolutions in the Storting. Overview of the phasing in of zero-emission solutions in the Norwegian car fleet: The shares of zero-emission vehicles so far this year (per 30 June) are as follows: 81.8 per cent of all new passenger cars 28.0 per cent of all new light vans 38.4 per cent of all new heavy goods vehicles 96.5 per cent of all new city buses (incl. gas vehicles) 28.6 per cent of all long-distance buses 10.5 per cent of all lorries Source: Statens vegvesen, Updated status on zero-emission vehicles | State Highways Authority.
ttn-69
Now the first electric wagon trains are in place – but it costs money – news Nordland
