The FuelActive system is reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 7% for Colas Rail UK.
The innovative FuelActive diesel pick-up looks set to save Colas Rail UK the equivalent of up to 365 tonnes of CO2 in 2024, with additional reductions in the future as the system is adopted on a wider range of machinery. In trials, the clean fuel delivery system is already cutting fuel consumption for the rail business by up to 7% and extending component life.
“When I first came across FuelActive, I thought about that optimal pick-up point for fuel, with no dirt or water from the bottom of the tank,” said Daniel Bird, Maintenance Manager, Rail Profile Treatment Fleet at Colas Rail UK.
“It reduces the maintenance of our machinery, the filters remain clear, and it extends the life of our assets. Overall, it’s a great invention.”
FuelActive is a unique fuel pick-up pipe that can be installed in any type of fuel tank, across all types of on and off highway machinery. Whereas a conventional pick-up will take fuel from the bottom of the tank, to ensure that it continues to work as the fuel level drops, the FuelActive system uses a floating pick-up, that ensures that only the cleanest possible fuel is passed to the engine’s fuel injection system. The 92% cleaner fuel results in a cleaner burn, reducing fuel consumption and cutting engine emissions.
“There are a lot of challenges working in a heavy diesel fuel environment. We know that contaminated diesel is an industry problem. It’s very difficult to control the quality of the fuel that you get. But what matters is where that diesel is then delivered to,” said Mr Bird.
“We have trialled the FuelActive system for six months, on eight of our engines. We regularly monitor fuel delivery data, and we are seeing 4-7% on average fuel savings. We’re also seeing increased reliability in the engines, with a reduction in injector issues and four times the typical fuel filter life.”
The company has had financial and operational support from Network Rail, allowing trials in its machinery fleet. Colas Rail UK currently spends around £1.8 million a year on fuel, creating around 5,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Anything that can effectively reduce those figures is worth investigation and FuelActive is proving its worth.
“We’ve been working with our supply chain, creating that healthy ecosystem where everybody wins,” said Alejandro Moreno, Business Development Director at Colas Rail UK.
“There are plenty of challenges for the rail industry, including sustainability and decarbonisation, these are key elements. Also reducing cost. How can we improve our performance while reducing cost? FuelActive is helping us to decarbonise faster and better.”
“FuelActive was presented to us and we were very impressed by how simple it was. It is a very low cost to fit and the team at FuelActive are incredibly flexible. From scoping the engines to initial fitment was about a month. We estimate that return on investment will be about a year,” said Mr Bird.
“For anybody that is running diesel out of a tank, I couldn’t recommend FuelActive enough. It is the perfect buffer between the fuel container and the fuel quality that is delivered to the engine.”
Unipart Rail is proud to be the exclusive distributor of the pioneering FuelActive solution, which aligns perfectly with the company’s commitment to driving performance improvement and further increasing sustainability within the global rail sector.
By working in collaboration, Unipart Rail and FuelActive are reshaping the future of rail transportation, empowering operators to embrace sustainable practices whilst unlocking unprecedented levels of performance and reliability and simultaneously reducing costs.
After demonstrating the extensive benefits of the FuelActive solution, Unipart Rail and FuelActive are now working in collaboration to implement the solution across the expansive EMD built Class 66 Fleet.
Image credit: Unipart Rail
