Europe to open first solar-powered railway tunnel

[M II A II R II K]

Europe to open first solar-powered railway tunnel


05 Jun 2011

By David Millward

Read More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/t...-open-first-solar-powered-railway-tunnel.html


The 2.1 mile-long tunnel will form part of the Paris-Amsterdam high speed rail link. Electricity generated from the 50,000 solar panels will provide the electricity used to power the 186 mph trains as they pass underneath. The panels, which are being built by a Belgian solar power company, Enfinity, will £12.6 million. They will cover an area equivalent to eight football pitches and apart from the trains, will also power for Antwerp. The panels will generate an estimate 3,300 MWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of approximately 950 families.

- In the United States ac campaign has been launched for a "sun-powered bullet train" travelling at 200mph between Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. Meanwhile in Italy, the EU has been funding a train with solar panels on the roof, which are used to provide electricity for the carriages' air conditioning system. The French have also been looking at the technology using solar panels to power the lighting and air conditioning on a train in Poitou Charentes.

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[BMO]

Very interesting...I wonder how much the tunnel will cost, it says the solar pannels will only cost 12.6 million pounds, which isn't very expensive I'd imagine ($18 million? )

 

[Automation Gallery]

Interesting, but then again sad that it wont ever happen in our lifetime here in Canada.
The only thing we could look forward, is to blow more fumes.

 

[Mapleson]

Whoever proofed that Telegraph article should be fired. It's 16,000 solar panels covering 50,000 square metres, roughly eight football pitches, not 50,000 panels.

 

[sjc]

Electricity generated from the 50,000 solar panels will provide the electricity used to power the 186 mph trains as they pass underneath.

I guess they won't run trains at night?

 

[Automation Gallery]

I guess they won't run trains at night?

Why, most likely the electricity produced by solar goes back into the grid and distributed back from the utilities when needed, or the old school way.. where a huge battery bank keeps being charged/powered during the day and holds enough charge to power during the night.
Sorry, but im sure there is more specific words in use for all this.

 

[nfitz]

Very interesting...I wonder how much the tunnel will cost, it says the solar pannels will only cost 12.6 million pounds, which isn't very expensive I'd imagine ($18 million? )

The "tunnel" is above ground. It's only there to protect the train from falling trees.

Not surprisingly The Guardian explains it far better than The Telegraph - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/06/tunnel-solar-belgium-rail

 

[BMO]

The "tunnel" is above ground. It's only there to protect the train from falling trees.

Not surprisingly The Guardian explains it far better than The Telegraph - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/06/tunnel-solar-belgium-rail

thanks for the clarification, that seems kinda like a waste of money...but I guess if it gets extremely windy on that section it probably warrants it, but still the increased air resistance kinda makes it less efficient than if it was just outside at grade.

 

[Kitsune]

A 189mph train from Paris to Amsterdam? Damn, thats going to be one very quick trip!

 

[nfitz]

A 189mph train from Paris to Amsterdam? Damn, thats going to be one very quick trip!

It's been running for years ... it's part of the Thalys service into Gare du Nord, that goes on the track heading to the Chunnel and Brussels. Though it's sped up as new high-speed sectio have been added.

It's a 500-km trip though ... almost as long as Toronto to Montreal - so not too quick - over 3:15 hours. A lot of people will still fly. Compare to the London-Paris Eurostar service which is almost the same length and over some of the same tracks in 2:15 hours.