Barcelona's MetroCharge project is revolutionizing sustainability by using metro trains to produce renewable energy.
The new system uses regenerative brakes on the trains, which use an electric motor to capture the energy used during braking, to produce energy. Every time the trains stop, energy is generated and then powers the trains and the stations, with the remainder being redirected to the street level, where it is being used to charge electric vehicles, as reported by Euronews.
This innovative technology increases the transportation system's use of renewable energy, in turn reducing reliance on dirty fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
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Efforts like this are key in reducing rising global temperatures. This system could also help lower the cost of using charging stations, which would help people save money on fueling their EVs.
"Since the recharging stations are installed nearby, the energy, instead of being put back into the general electric network, goes directly to the charging stations, and that allows the provider to potentially offer lower prices," said Alvaro Luna, professor of electrical engineering at the Polytechnical University of Catalonia, per Euronews.
Providing more charging stations for EVs is also a key target in Spain, where EV adoption has been slow compared to other European nations, per Euronews.
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EV adoption did increase in 2024, fueled by tax incentives from the government. A new subsidy program is expected to be announced at the end of February, according to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, which is part of the European Commission.
The new technology being used by the metro system has received positive feedback from customers. "I am pleasantly surprised, because I have an electric car and am always looking for where to plug it in," said Bernado Espinoza, who is one of the 2.3 million people who use the metro on any given day in the city, per Euronews.
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