photo: Rail Cargo Group press materials/Rail Cargo Group
Optimization of freight transport logistics with RCG saves Greater Linz emissions equal to 16,000 trips by truck every year. Both partners have achieved a positive offset following roughly three years of operation.
With the assistance of the Rail Cargo Group, the Rohstoffgruppe Bernegger successfully shifted over 400,000 tonnes from roads to rails every year.
But the partnership wasn´t only successful from a business aspect; the climate also felt tremendous relief. transporting raw materials by rail instead of by truck, Berneggger has saved about 2,200 tonnes of CO2 annually and has managed to save the greater Linz area 16,000 truck travels per year.
Since July 2018, ÖBB has converted its traction power supply to only green electricity, making it one of the pioneers in the EU. From this year on, all railway stations, offices, workshops, and container cranes are operated using renewable energy.
“Using this measure, we aim to make our construction and raw supplies group even more future-oriented and sustainable. In addition, the switch from road to rail provides a much higher degree of planning capability when it comes to transport to and from the site”, says Kurt Bernegger, managing partner of the Bernegger Building Group. More specifically, he is alluding to the congested Upper Austrian central area, which has decreased to become a minor issue for his company thanks to the transport of raw materials by rail. In addition, Bernegger stressed the fact that the company had “freed itself from rising fuel costs”.
This project, realized thanks to the Rail Cargo Group, is one of the most environmentally friendly means of transport, meaning it is regarded as a key in reaching the climate goals.
“Kurt Bernegger is a visionary, and as the head of a family business, he thinks in terms of generations. He sees the sustainable and future-oriented positioning of his company as crucial. This makes ÖBB the ideal partner”, says Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB. Matthä adds, “One tonne of freight transported by rail results in 21 times less CO2 emissions than when it is transported by truck. RCG and its customers save the environment approximately 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Railways can therefore make a significant contribution to achieving the climate goals. The Vectron locomotive is equipped with a highly efficient regenerative braking system in which the braking energy generated is converted back into electricity. This is fed back into the overhead contact line through the current collectors. Subsequent trains reuse this energy for the journeys they make”.
“We still see enormous potential here for switching from trucks to rail and would like more companies to follow our example”, says Bernegger.