Environmental measures
Expansion of renewable energies in traction current
The development of a diversified portfolio of renewable energies and energy storage systems for an economical and secure energy supply with a growing share of renewable energies is a core element of our greening strategy. Power purchase agreements (PPA) have become an integral element of procurement activities. In 2024, 14 new PPAs were concluded:
- ten newly concluded PPAs with a short-term to medium-term maturity, under which electricity is supplied from six onshore, one offshore wind farm No. 47 and four solar parks No. 30, and
- four newly concluded PPAs with a long-term maturity, under which electricity is supplied from five hydropower plants No. 16 and one solar park.
These include a long-term supply agreement (PPA) with Uniper for electricity supplies from four Swedish run-of-river power plants on the Fjällsjöälven. For five years from 2028, eco-power of about 88 GWh per year is to be supplied to DB Group from the run-of-river power plants.
An initial Power Storage Agreement (PSA) was concluded with Iqony in the fourth quarter of 2024. This will enable DB Energy to use a storage capacity of 140 MWh from the new battery storage facility being built at the Duisburg-Walsum power plant site for five years, probably from May 2026. The structuring of PSAs within the PPA portfolio makes it possible to manage the special features of eco-power supplies, for example discontinuous generation and price and forecast risks, in the best possible way. DB Energy wants to continue to actively promote the integration of renewable energies in the German electricity market.
Energy supply for alternative drives
In addition to the further electrification of the rail network, DB Energy is implementing supply solutions for rolling stock with alternative drives. DB Energy is pursuing various technological approaches:
- The first overhead wire island systems in Germany have been in operation in Schleswig-Holstein since the end of 2024: instead of the entire line, only short sections or stations are electrified, where battery-powered trains No. 45 can recharge. At the Heide, Husum and Tönning stations, DB Energy installed charging substations to feed traction current into the new overhead wire sections built by DB InfraGO. In addition, plans for the construction of overhead wire island systems are to be driven forward in various Federal states.
- DB Energy has further expanded the supply of HVO No. 164: at the end of 2024, HVO was available at 20 DB Energy rail filling stations.
- At the Innovations Hub in Tübingen, DB Energy is testing an innovative complete hydrogen system for the first time as part of the H2goesRail project No. 53. DB Energy has developed a new type of mobile hydrogen filling station for this project. The green hydrogen is produced directly on-site using eco-power from the overhead wire. The hydrogen obtained in this way is then compressed, stored in a mobile storage unit and made available via the mobile refueling system. In 2024, hydrogen refueling was tested in Tübingen. Building on the H2goesRail project, DB Energy is working on the traction current supply of the future at the innovation site in Tübingen. In addition, further technologies and systems are to be piloted at the site by the end of the first quarter of 2025. Examples include development of the so-called DB sector coupler, a technical interface to the overhead wire to feed renewable energies directly into the traction current grid, the use of energy storage systems and the use of AI for efficient energy management.
- DB Energy has been operating a hydrogen filling station for Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB) in Augsburg since the end of 2024, ensuring that BRB is supplied with hydrogen from renewable energies.