On May 27, CNR Datong Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Datong Co.) officially delivered two high-power electric locomotives with eight-axle and AC transmission to Shenhua Group Corporation Limited, just following the delivery of the first batch of two high-power locomotives with AC transmission to Belarus on May 16. It is also the first time that the Chinese high-power electric locomotive with AC transmission running on the local government-controlled railway line within China.
This high-power electric locomotive with eight-axle and AC transmission, specially developed for and delivered to Shenhua Group, is based on the manufacturing platform for the harmony type high-power electric locomotive in light of the actual railway conditions of Shenhua Group’s Shenmu-Shuozhou line, having the total traction power 9600KW and maximum speed 120km/ h, leading the world-advanced level in various fields relating to its performance, which is suitable for the regional transportation of the bulk cargos and the heavy-haul transportation of coal, oil and other resources materials.
Since 2008, the electric locomotives with AC transmission have being operated on Chinese main lines, including Datong-Qinhuangdao coal line, with single locomotive hauling 10000-tonnage cargos. This electric locomotive plays an important role for the fast and heavy haul transportation in China, and becomes the main type of the locomotives for Chinese heavy haul railway freight transportation thanks to its higher traction power, remarkable energy-saving efficiency and easy operation.
Before introduction of the high-power electric locomotives with AC transmission, Chinese local government-controlled railways operated the conventional electric locomotive with DC transmission, which could not effectively meet requirements of rapid-increasing transport capacity due to its lower traction power and higher energy consumption.
One new high-power electric locomotive with AC transmission, after its operation on the railway lines, has the traction power equal to 2 or 3 traditional locomotives with DC transmission, and has longer maintenance period and higher ratio of the performance and pricing. It is understood that the high-power electric locomotives are now widely promoted and used in the field of Chinese national railways by light of their excellent performance. The delivery of high-power electric locomotive with AC transmission from Datong Co. to the Chinese local government-controlled railways is a landmark event for the Chinese local railways to renew and replace the conventional traction power, and is also shown that Datong Co. has become the first Chinese enterprise to supply high-power electric locomotive with AC transmission to the local government-controlled railways .in China
In February 2012, CNR and Shenhua Group signed the framework agreement on the strategic cooperation, which states that CNR shall provide the advanced, reliable and suitable locomotives, rolling stocks and key components for the coal transportation to Shenhua Group, and develop all directional cooperation on the equipment management, operation, maintenance and repairing. In addition to the supply of the locomotives and rolling stocks to Shenhua Group, CNR shall carry out the joint development and design on the technology. For example, as per the characteristics of the Shenhua Group railway lines, bridges and tunnels, CNR shall study and establish a theoretical system to adapt to the requirements of the heavy haul transportation from Shenhua Group, improve the comprehensive technical performance of the specialized locomotives and rolling stocks running on the coal lines.
With the further development of China’s economy, there will be a sustainable increase on the transportation volume of bulk cargos, such as natural resources, minerals, raw materials and etc. which shall invigorate the demand for the railway transportation. It is expected that more high-power electric locomotives, if running on the Chinese local railway lines, can effectively alleviate the bottleneck of the bulk cargos transportation