Brazil Tests The World's First Ethanol-Powered Train, Capable Of Replacing Up To 50% Of Diesel And Drastically Cutting Pollutant Emissions By 2028

Brazil Tests The World’s First Ethanol-Powered Train, Capable Of Replacing Up To 50% Of Diesel And Drastically Cutting Pollutant Emissions By 2028

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 04/11/2025 at 09:27

Brasil testa trem movido a etanol que promete substituir até 50% do diesel, reduzir poluição e revolucionar o transporte ferroviário até 2028

Be the first to react!

Tests Conducted In Brazil, United States, And Austria Confirm The Advancement Of Technology That Will Allow The Replacement Of Diesel With Ethanol In Vale Locomotives, Scheduled To Begin In 2028

A new technology is in the testing phase in Brazil and promises to transform the rail sector: the ethanol-powered train. The goal is to replace diesel with a cleaner and more sustainable fuel, reducing pollutant gas emissions.

The tests are underway and, starting in 2028, the change is expected to become a reality in trains operated by Vale, which transport ore from Minas Gerais to Espírito Santo, as well as passenger trains.

The technology is considered unprecedented in the railway world. The initial testing phase is taking place in laboratories in the United States, Austria, and Brazil.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Adaptations And Advantages Of The Technology

To enable the use of ethanol, locomotives will undergo adaptations and will operate with flex engines, also known as dual-field, that accept alternative fuels.

According to Daniela Ornelas, Vice President of Product at Wabtec, the modifications include adjustments to the injection system and possible changes to the fuel tank, which is currently designed for diesel.

In addition to reducing pollutant emissions, the new system maintains train performance.

João Turchetti, Director of Decarbonization Engineering at Vale, explains that the choice of ethanol follows a clear logic: as the biofuel is already widely used in gasoline, its expansion to railway diesel is a natural step.

Brazil has ample availability of ethanol in the Central-West and Southeast regions, facilitating initial implementation and paving the way for future expansions.

1 Comment

most recent

older Most voted

Built-in feedback

View all comments

Adriano Guimaraes

#203914

05/12/2025 09:36

Etanol com baterias elétricas recarregável já que temos ônibus elétrico de viagem hibrido para para viagem de longo curso e elétrico para o urbano, novas baterias q poderia ser do tamanho de um vagão, recarregável e movido a etanol…é o mundo se modernizando….

Respond

Brazil Tests The World’s First Ethanol-Powered Train, Capable Of Replacing Up To 50% Of Diesel And Drastically Cutting Pollutant Emissions By 2028

Tests Conducted In Brazil, United States, And Austria Confirm The Advancement Of Technology That Will Allow The Replacement Of Diesel With Ethanol In Vale Locomotives, Scheduled To Begin In 2028

Adaptations And Advantages Of The Technology

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

Engineers had to pour concrete mixed with tons of ice throughout entire nights in the Dubai desert to erect the Burj Khalifa; any carelessness could clog the pipes half a mile high.

More than 220 Brazilian industries have already fled towards Paraguay and no one seems to be paying attention. The small neighbor is growing three times faster than Brazil and attracting billions in foreign investments while the South American giant remains stagnant.

A homemade technique is going viral among construction workers throughout Brazil and promises to renew thick floors without needing to spend on tiles. All you need is AC3 mortar, burnt cement, and a bit of wood glue to transform the appearance of the house.

The Brazilian Army is about to finalize one of the largest military purchases in recent years with Italy, consisting of 96 Centauro 2 armored vehicles with 120 mm cannons and three anti-aircraft batteries unprecedented in the country, including armed drones under negotiation.

Brazil Tests The World’s First Ethanol-Powered Train, Capable Of Replacing Up To 50% Of Diesel And Drastically Cutting Pollutant Emissions By 2028

Tests Conducted In Brazil, United States, And Austria Confirm The Advancement Of Technology That Will Allow The Replacement Of Diesel With Ethanol In Vale Locomotives, Scheduled To Begin In 2028

Adaptations And Advantages Of The Technology

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

The “freshwater lid” that worries scientists: Greenland melts, could weaken Atlantic currents and is already being monitored by robots, satellites, and artificial intelligence before altering the climate in the coming decades.

Scientists in Saudi Arabia create an “electricity-free refrigerator” that uses a chemical reaction to lower the temperature from 25°C to 3.6°C in 20 minutes and then uses the sun itself to restart the system without a compressor, outlet, or generator.

MIT study creates method to search for dark matter in gravitational waves and finds possible evidence in black hole signal

After 107 years at the bottom of the Atlantic, divers find the wreck of the Tampa, a World War I ship torpedoed with 131 people on board.

Engineers had to pour concrete mixed with tons of ice throughout entire nights in the Dubai desert to erect the Burj Khalifa; any carelessness could clog the pipes half a mile high.

More than 220 Brazilian industries have already fled towards Paraguay and no one seems to be paying attention. The small neighbor is growing three times faster than Brazil and attracting billions in foreign investments while the South American giant remains stagnant.

A homemade technique is going viral among construction workers throughout Brazil and promises to renew thick floors without needing to spend on tiles. All you need is AC3 mortar, burnt cement, and a bit of wood glue to transform the appearance of the house.

The Brazilian Army is about to finalize one of the largest military purchases in recent years with Italy, consisting of 96 Centauro 2 armored vehicles with 120 mm cannons and three anti-aircraft batteries unprecedented in the country, including armed drones under negotiation.