EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A recent and widely reported study1 by the Co outlines the energy cost for moving freight by various modes and includes a comparison of railroads and slurry pipelines in transporting coal. The study found that This Center's report critiques the CBO study, noting that the comparison between unit trains and slurry pipelines needs more balance. It also presents results of a showing that On the basis of this study, it appears unit trains and slurry pipelines. 1Staff Working Paper, Congressional Budget Office, "Energy Use in Freight Transportation," Washington, D.C., February 1982. REVIEW OF THE CBO REPORT AND ITS DATA SOURCES The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a study entitled "Energy Use In Freight Transportation," dated February 1982, which was prepared for the Commerce, Transportation and Tourism Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The study estimates the energy efficiency of various freight transportation modes, in terms of Btu per ton-mile, includes not only the propulsion energy but also vehicle-manufacturing energy, construction energy, and the effect of circuity as well as refinery losses. The energy for empty movements, and for the non-cargo weight of the vehicle are also accomodated. The CBO study results, as taken from the printed study, are outlined in Summary Table 1. SUMMARY TABLE 1. ESTIMATES OF TYPICAL FREIGHT ENERGY EFFICIENCY (In BTUs per tonmile of cargo) (a) Combines propulsion energy, maintenance energy, vehicle manufacturing energy, construction energy, and the effect of circuity, as well as refinery losses and the energy used for empty movements and for the non-cargo weight of vehicles. One gallon of diesel fuel contains on the average 138,700 BTUS (British Thermal Units) of energy, and a gallon of gasoline 125,000 BTUs. A ton-mile represents the movement of one ton a distance of one mile. (b) Trailer on flat car. The news media reports of the study have focused on the conclusion that coal can be moved by unit train for one-third less energy per ton-mile than by coal slurry pipeline. An analysis of the base components of energy use employed by the CBO is shown in Table 1 as taken from the study. TABLE 1. ESTIMATES OF BASIC COMPONENTS OF ENERGY USE FOR SIX MODES OF FREIGHT As can be seen in the first data column, the major source of the unit train advantage lies in estimated propulsion energy which is nearly one-third of the coal slurry pipeline. The original summary of propulsion energy estimates studied in the CBO report, which led to the figures used in their report, is reproduced in Table A-8. For the comparison between pipelines and trains in the CBO study, the coal slurry pipeline data were based partially on design estimates ranging from 410 Btu expended per ton-mile to 1740 Btu per ton-mile for a 1170-mile pipeline and a 200-mile pipeline, respectively. Also used by CBO was the actual operating data for the 273-mile, 4.8 million-ton per year Black Mesa pipeline which varied from 601 Btu per ton-mile to 4800 Btu per ton-mile. The Southern Pacific slurry pipeline operating data for Black Mesa are 1042 Btu per ton-mile and probably are the most reliable since the railroad has operated the pipeline from its inception. TABLE A-8. SUMMARY ESTIMATES OF PROPULSION ENERGY REQUIREMENTS (In BTUs per tonmile of cargo) (a) The wide range of estimates results from the use of two different methods. (b) The wide variation results from different degrees of comprehensiveness (pumping energy alone as against coal preparation and dewatering as well), and also from the differences between engineering studies of large--as yet unbuilt--pipelines and the smaller-scale line now in operation. However, in the CBO study there was no mention of the Consolidation pipeline in Ohio which is 108 miles long and which carried 1.25 million tons per year when it operated. Data from a Consolidation Coal Report reprint from Coal, June 1964, implies 1097 Btu were used per ton-mile when pumping at only a 10,000 Btu per kilowatt hour heat rate. To better understand our critique of the CBO report it is necessary to examine in more detail the source of the railroad and slurry pipeline propulsion data. The unit train propulsion energy data used by the CBO was based on estimates from the following sources. Conrail 1977 Office of Tech. Assessment 319 Btu/ton-mile 222 Btu/ton-mile 97-082 0-82--58 |