Adif and Exolum have signed an agreement to study the development of a rail logistics network that will connect Exolum’s facilities to Adif’s network to facilitate the transport of CO₂, ammonia, methanol, biofuels and other raw materials. This will provide the market with an immediate, versatile, low-impact solution for transporting the energy products of the future.
Under this agreement, a strategic study will be carried out of the capacity of Adif’s railway infrastructure for transporting these goods from Exolum’s terminals near the production centres of these new fuels to its storage terminals in key ports, with special emphasis on the Atlantic Corridor. Feasibility analyses will also be carried out, including studies of track capacity and the viability of establishing new sidings and accesses as part of a private transport infrastructure between production plants and ports. Exolum has rail sidings at 17 of its Spanish terminals connected to the Adif network, and has previous experience in the transport of energy products and other bulk liquids by rail.
This new logistics network will allow a range of products to be transported, such as CO₂ captured from large industries, which will be carried by the rail network for sequestration or reuse, thereby helping reduce emissions. The network will also facilitate the transport of e-fuels such as e-ammonia and e-methanol, promoting the decarbonisation of the energy and transport sector. It will also be possible to transport raw materials, including vegetable oils and fats, as well as biofuels such as biomethanol and bioethanol.
The network will be developed using existing infrastructures, offering multiple advantages, including facilitating rapid implementation without the need for new expropriations or lengthy administrative processes. Moreover, with rights of way already in place, environmental and social impacts on local communities are minimised. This strategy reduces operating costs with more costeffective logistics solutions, and will boost the market penetration of the products transported.
