Innovation drive

Inverters reduce Energy consumption in tracked vehicles

Poland has recently witnessed a renaissance in railway transportation. It has ceased to be associated with shabby train and tight compartments. Modern railway cars can be seen increasingly often at train stations. They offer passengers free Wi-Fi and electrical sockets. ASP, based in the suburbs of Warsaw, makes sure that every trip takes place in a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environment.

‘Thanks to EU funding we can develop in Poland the most modern energy-efficient power supply systems for the most demanding sectors, from the energy industry, including nuclear power, to railway transport,’ says Mr Piotr Szewczyk, CEO of APS Energia.

In 2016, APS Energia moved to its new headquarters in Stanisławów Pierwszy near Warsaw to establish its modern research and development centre. The R&D Centre created, among other things, a proprietary design of an electric vehicle charger. The company also developed innovative inverters that reduce energy consumption in locomotives, railway cars and other tracked vehicles. ‘Our solutions are applied by domestic manufacturers of the rolling stock, and soon foreign companies will follow suit,’ said Janusz Wiśniewski, the Deputy Director for R&D Departament at APS Energia.

: New production lines have been established in the Engineering and Production Centre

: APS Energia started manufacturing inverters in 2013

: Inverters reduce energy consumption in tracked vehicles

Rail transport increasingly popular
Railway transportation is becoming increasingly popular
Number of passengers in 2018: 310 million people (increase by 6.7 million)
Cargo handling: 250 million tons (increase by 10 million tons)

Source: The Office of Rail Transport

Inverters produced in Stanisławów Pierwszy are going to be applied in railway cars by Poznań-based H. Cegielski, a tracked vehicle manufacturer. The net value of the 2019 contract is PLN16.5 million. ‘The rail transport and infrastructure enjoy major prospects for development due to environmental restrictions. Since the entire world invests in trains, trams, electric buses and the underground transport, we expect a steady growth in the number of orders,’ said Piotr Szewczyk.

Project: 3kV/3x400V-380V/24V Innovative inwerter for the transport and rail industry (energy-effi cient power supply system for locomotives, railway cars and other tracked vehicles)
Project cost: approx. PLN 3 million, including PLN 1.7 million from the European Regional Development Fund, Smart Growth Programme