SERA Lands $15.6MM Grant for Zero-Emission Switchers Project
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
“SERA is extraordinarily proud to be awarded the funds by the California State Transportation Authority as we continue to lead the industry converting our fleet of switching locomotives to hydrogen-powered zero emission locomotives,” SERA President Kennan H. Beard III said.
Sierra Northern (SERA) will use a $15.6 million grant from the California State Transportation Authority (CalSTA) to convert three additional diesel switchers to hydrogen-powered zero emission units.
The conversion follows SERA’s first-generation hydrogen-fueled, zero-emissions switcher project funded by a 2021 California Energy Commission grant, in which the Woodland, Calif.-based short line is retiring an older, EPA Tier 0 diesel and replacing it with the hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) powered unit. Both the California Energy Commission and the CalSTA projects “involve the integration of an advanced hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen storage, advanced battery, and systems control technologies to provide an alternative to less environmentally friendly diesel-powered locomotives,” SERA reported July 6.
The latest grant is from the State of California, CalSTA, Port and Freight Infrastructure Project Funding through a public-private partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, according to the short line, which operates approximately 75 miles of track in Northern California and 30 miles in Southern California. SERA is owned by Sierra Railroad Company, the principal owner of Sierra Energy Corporation, which has developed a proprietary waste-to-clean hydrogen technology.
According to SERA, the total cost of developing, demonstrating and testing its three additional hydrogen-fueled switchers will be approximately $19.5 million. This cost also includes the development of refueling infrastructure and protocols. Switcher testing will be conducted on SERA’s soon-to-be-constructed test track—approximately 2,000 feet of 10906 ancillary track—in the West Sacramento rail yard.
“The project will refine SERA’s hydrogen (H2) locomotive technology in furtherance of its desire to convert 50% of its own locomotives to H2 technology in the next decade, while simultaneously commercializing the technology and encouraging other short lines to do the same,” according to CalSTA. “The benefits of this project will provide significant air quality and environmental justice benefits to disadvantaged communities surrounding the Port of West Sacramento and eventually throughout Northern California.” CalSTA reported that the estimated emission reductions for the three locomotives will be, in kilograms per year: 102,060 CO2, 66.9 PM10, 153.5 Hydrocarbons, 278.2 CO, and 1915.2 NOx.
SERA reported that in addition to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, it is partnering with Railpower Tech LLC; Ballard Power Systems; Velocity Strategies; Gas Technology Institute; WHA International; UC Riverside, College of Engineering–Center for Environmental Research and Technology; and Valley Vision on the project, which the railroad expects to be completed in fourth-quarter 2027.
“We believe that through creative public-private partnerships like we have with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, we can help the State of California achieve its goals of converting all switching locomotives to a Zero Emission Solution,” said Kennan H. Beard III, President of SERA.
“The District is proud to play a role in the development and deployment of hydrogen locomotives in the Sacramento region,” said Alberto Ayala, Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. “With over 25 years of experience implementing successful clean air projects for heavy-duty on-road and off-road vehicles, we are ready to support this new public-private partnership with SERA to build and demonstrate these hydrogen-fueled, zero-emission fuel cell electric locomotives. This technology will provide significant air quality and environmental justice benefits to communities surrounding the Port of West Sacramento, as well as reduce global warming gases, noise and odor. The project puts Sacramento squarely in the clean energy transition while helping California achieve its decarbonization goals.”
Further Reading:
SERA Unveils Hydrogen Switcher Livery
Supply Briefs: SoCalGas/Sierra Northern, ClearBlade/Phoenix Contact
Supply Side: Ballard, TransRail Innovation
SERA To Build Hydrogen-Powered Switcher
