Etihad Rail debuts carbon emission avoidance, reduction certificates

UAE’s Etihad Rail has debuted the region’s first-ever “CO2 Emission Avoidance and Reduction Certificates,” an innovative initiative that highlights the environmental benefits of rail transport for its customers.

The certificates – powered by EcoTransIT, a globally recognised tool for assessing the environmental impact of transport – quantify and validate the carbon savings businesses achieve by choosing rail over alternative transport modes, directly contributing to the UAE’s decarbonisation goals.

The developer and operator of the UAE’s railway network said the certificates calculate CO2 Equivalents (CO2e) by factoring in direct emissions from diesel and indirect emissions from biofuels.

The process includes Well-to-Wheel (WTW) analysis, which covers the full lifecycle of fuel use – from extraction to combustion – ensuring an accurate measurement of the environmental impact of each tonne-km transported.

“The initiative empowers businesses to take active roles in reducing their carbon footprint while leveraging the unparalleled efficiency and reliability of rail transport. By aligning with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategy and the UAE Climate Change law, we are driving transformative change in the logistics sector, building a more sustainable future for the UAE and the region,” said Omar Alsebeyi, executive director of Commercial & Performance of Etihad Rail.

Etihad Rail plans to transport 60 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2030, contributing to the UAE’s economic diversification, enhancing supply chain resilience, and contributing to its climate targets.

The firm’s operations are projected to reduce CO2 emissions from the UAE’s road transport sector by 21 per cent annually by 2050, taking up to 300 trucks off the roads for every train journey.

Last September, Etihad Rail Freight, a unit of Etihad Rail, signed a haulage services deal with Trojan General Contracting to provide seamless, end-to-end transportation and logistics solutions.

Etihad Rail will transport aggregates from Trojan’s quarries in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah to the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Industrial City. It will provide comprehensive logistics solutions, including first- and last-mile services, via its Al Ghail Dry Port rail terminal.

Earlier in September, Noatum Group, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, launched its new rail logistics solution for the Middle East region.

The shuttle service, provided by Etihad Rail, aims to add significant capacity to the regional logistics network and offer customers the option of transporting large volumes of overland freight.

Read: Etihad Rail, Trojan General Contracting seal haulage services deal