Eurostar’s Eco-Express: Full Steam Ahead to 100% Renewable Energy

According to its first sustainability report, the international rail operator Eurostar aims to use 100% renewable energy to power its trains by 2030.

The company, which operates trains between the UK and Europe via the Channel Tunnel, said it had joined the global Renewable Energy 100% corporate initiative (RE100) and would work with local infrastructure partners to implement a fully renewable energy-powered network.

Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave commented:

“This is a deliberately ambitious target; Eurostar wants to use its brand and commitment to accelerate change across the sector.”

“To achieve our goal, we work closely together with our partners in each of our markets, we encourage regulatory support for the rapid deployment of new renewable energy projects.” [1].

Ollie Wilson, Head of RE100, Climate Group, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome Eurostar to RE100, the first rail firm to join. Eurostar is setting a global example and leading the way on renewables powering our rail networks. Eurostar now has the opportunity to draw on a global network of over 400 companies as it works towards 30 million journeys a year powered by 100% renewable electricity by 2030. We encourage other businesses in the rail sector to follow Eurostar’s lead and commit to 100% renewable electricity.” [2].

Eurostar Illustration by Gabby Rush.

Sustainable Tracks Today

Eurostar actively seeks regulatory support to rapidly deploy new renewable energy projects and collaborate with partners in its operating countries. For example, the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Infrabel, the government-owned railway company in Belgium, to explore installing solar power as a source of electricity for the trains [3].

In the Netherlands, Eurostar trains have been powered by 100% wind since 2017; as of 2023, that figure is 40% in the UK. They are also trailing a new piece of on-board eco-driving that could enable their drivers to reduce energy usage by at least 5% on every journey. As a result, travelling with Eurostar emits only 5.5g of CO₂ per passenger kilometre, a figure that Eurostar is working hard to reduce even further, whereas National Rail services average 35g of CO₂ per passenger kilometre [4, 5].

In addition to energy considerations, Eurostar is committed to reducing its environmental impact through circular practices. For instance, unsold food is donated to the food-sharing platform Olio. They also offer a variety of vegan and vegetarian meals and have switched all food packaging to recyclable or compostable materials, eliminating plastic packaging for all food items. [4]

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References

[1] Railway Technology – Eurostar Aiming for 100% Renewable Energy by 2030. Accessed on 20/05/24. Available at: https://www.railway-technology.com/news/eurostar-aiming-100-renewable-energy-2030/?cf-view

[2] Eurostar Media Centre. Accessed on 11/06/24. Available at: https://mediacentre.eurostar.com/mc_view?language=&article_Id=ka4Rz000004zWS5IAM

[3] Reccessary. Accessed on 11/06/24. Available at:

https://www.reccessary.com/en/news/world-announcement/eurostar-releases-first-sustainability-report-pledges-100-renewable-energy-usage-2030

[4] Eurostar Sustainability. Accessed on 12/06/24. Available at: https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/sustainability

[5] National Rail – Greener. Accessed on 14/06/24. Available at: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/greener/