GB Railfreight and HyOrc on track for green future

GB Railfreight (GBRf) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with US clean technology company HyOrc, working on ‘Project Phoenix’ in a joint effort to decarbonise the UK railway.
As part of the project, both companies will work to retrofit GBRf’s older diesel locomotive fleet using HyOrc’s zero-emission propulsion technology.

Following HyOrc’s recently validated 1MW factory system, Project Phoenix is proposing scaling the technology to a 3MW UK pilot.

It aims to replace the diesel engine of a legacy locomotive and demonstrate a practical, low-risk pathway for transitioning freight locomotives from using diesel to sustainable fuels.

A major benefit of decarbonising the UK railway in this way is avoiding the need to build railway electrification infrastructure, which can be costly.

The pathway proposes taking a phased approach, reducing emissions through the use of onboard natural gas or LPG before transitioning to 100% onboard hydrogen. This would be enabled by HyOrc’s proprietary hydrogen-conditioning technology.

Logistics UK’s Senior Policy Manager Alexandra Herdman said: “Logistics UK welcomes this important collaboration between GB Railfreight and HyOrc as a positive step forward in accelerating the decarbonisation of the UK’s rail freight network.

“Private sector innovation is critical to delivering the cleaner, more efficient supply chains our economy will rely on in the years ahead, and today’s announcement shows real ambition at a time when progress is urgently needed.

“Logistics operators are committed to reducing emissions across all freight modes, and rail has a vital role to play in achieving net zero logistics. Innovation such as this will also play a vital role in meeting the rail freight growth target.

“We will continue to work and engage with industry partners and government to ensure that the right policy and investment frameworks are in place to support initiatives like this and unlock the full potential of low‑carbon rail freight.”